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<title>The Fur-midable Task of Winning Sakusa Kiyoomi’s Heart by SilentNorth</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25496377">The Fur-midable Task of Winning Sakusa Kiyoomi’s Heart</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilentNorth/pseuds/SilentNorth'>SilentNorth</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A whisker away au, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Cats, M/M, Magic, Youkai, turning into a cat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 03:53:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>41,930</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25496377</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilentNorth/pseuds/SilentNorth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's pretty miserable moving to a new town, especially when Atsumu's only friend is his twin brother, and the guy he has a crush on barely gives him a second look at school. But when Atsumu meets a mysterious mask seller at the summer festival who gives him a mask that turns him into a cat, he finds that not only does Sakusa like him better as a cat, but just about everything is better behind the mask. But despite such an easygoing life, is it enough?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>101</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>470</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A Mask</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <i>“A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.” -Ernest Hemingway</i>
</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“’Samu, ‘Samu, y’know what today is?”</p><p>“What, ‘Tsumu?”</p><p>“It’s another day for Sakusa Kiyoomi to fall in love with me.”</p><p>Osamu snorted. They were on their way to school and only half awake. At this hour, they were the only ones who could put up with each other’s crappy attitudes but only just.</p><p>“Falling in love with you is the last thing Sakusa’s gonna do,” Osamu said. “Yer better off wastin’ time with one of the girls always confessin’ to you.”</p><p>“Hey, they ask you out, too.”</p><p>“Yeah, but I’m not the asshole they keep comin’ back to.” Osamu crossed his arms behind his head and looked up at the morning sky. “Man, it’s some kinda mystery how they keep getting’ crushes on you.”</p><p>“It’s because I’m prettier’n you.”</p><p>Osamu shoved him, nearly causing him to fall face first in the dirt. “Nuh-uh, you’ve got a shitty face to match yer shitty attitude.”</p><p>Regaining his balance, Atsumu shoved him back. “Yer the only one who doesn’t get to say that to me.”</p><p>“So you admit it.”</p><p>“<em>If </em>I admit it, then I’m admitting we’re both ugly.”</p><p>“Hmm, I guess it can’t be that then,” Osamu hummed. “We both get too many notes from girls for that.”</p><p>They were just stepping onto campus and it was hard to believe that summer break was just two weeks ago, brief as ever, but it was their first summer in this new place. They’d move just before the start of the year in April, and now, nearly six months later, it was an odd combination of displacement mixed together with the feeling that they’d been here all along.</p><p>It was a small town outside of Tokyo, so it didn’t feel all too different from Hyougo. Other than the fact that they were no longer stuck out in the middle of nowhere. Other than the fact that they had left all their friends behind.</p><p>That made it strange. Everything they’d once been familiar with was in a small town no one knew, but it had been everything they’d known up until six months ago. This town was the one that felt empty.</p><p>Osamu still texted some of their old friends. Atsumu had made a clean cut. All the texting got on his nerves, especially when it was late at night and Osamu’s phone wouldn’t quit buzzing from the bottom bunk.</p><p>But despite it not feeling too different—after they heard they were moving to Tokyo, they’d thought the city would swallow them up—the geographical relocation still liked to remind them that they were outsiders. Like their Kansai dialect making them more than they would’ve liked.</p><p>It didn’t happen as much anymore, but at the beginning of the year, the teasing had been relentless.</p><p>“Anyway, didja get yer math homework done?” Osamu asked. “I didn’t see you doin’ it last night.”</p><p>“I’ll get it in homeroom.”</p><p>“Tch, well I’m just tellin’ ya because I won’t be lettin’ you copy offa mine.”</p><p>“Uh-huh, sure,” Atsumu said, but his mind was on other things as his eyes scanned the crowd of students walking toward the school building.</p><p>It had been difficult at first, but he’d since perfected the art of spotting the back of Sakusa’s head. Osamu caught on at once and snickered under his breath.</p><p>“Stalker.”</p><p>“Not a stalker,” Atsumu replied quickly. “Just sayin’ hello—” target locked “—catch ya inside.”</p><p>He jumped forward, leaving Osamu in his dust.</p><p>Sakusa was easy to find. He was taller than most, so his dark curls rose above the heads of their classmates. He was also always accompanied by Komori. Picking the pair out was easy if you knew what to look for, and Atsumu already had one term of practice under his belt.</p><p>“G’morning, Omi-kun.” Atsumu gave him a firm pat in the middle of his back that made him stiffen on impact. Smirking, Atsumu slid around him so he could walk backwards while still facing the two. Though Sakusa’s mouth and nose were covered by his facemask, Atsumu could tell Sakusa was scowling from his narrowed eyes and pinched brows. On the other hand, Komori was stifling a laugh behind a fist.</p><p>“How are you, Miya?” Komori asked politely, and Atsumu grinned.</p><p>“Better every day I get t’see Omi-kun’s smile.” And honestly, it was. He just rarely got to see Sakusa without his face mask.</p><p>“Then I’m glad to hear you’re having a shitty day,” Sakusa said in his deadpanned voice. “Let’s get to class, Komori.”</p><p>“Sure.” Komori gave Atsumu one last smile—whether it was apologetic or pity, Atsumu didn’t look too closely—and he stepped around him alongside Sakusa. “See you in class, Miya.”</p><p>By the time Atsumu had gotten his locker open and changed his shoes, the two had already gone upstairs. Osamu caught up to him.</p><p>“Ya know, he used to snap atcha, but now he just ignores you,” Osamu said. “Is that supposed t’be an improvement?”</p><p>Atsumu was too busy counting on his fingers. “Ten.” He held up all ten fingers for Osamu. “Ten words. ‘Samu, I think that’s a new record.”</p><p>Smirking, Osamu pushed him up the stairs. “I think you should switch up yer method. Maybe try not harassin’ the guy, completely ignore him. Who knows, maybe he’ll come crawlin’ back.”</p><p>“No way.” Atsumu shoved him off. “It’s all or nothing, but don’t worry, I’ll win him over.”</p><p>“Oh, <em>I’m</em> not worried, but you should at least try somethin’ else besides yellin’ at the guy and breakin’ his back every morning.”</p><p>They stepped into the classroom and while Atsumu paused inside the doorway, Osamu went to his seat.</p><p>“Omi-kun, we should exchange numbers, ya know?” Instead of going to his seat in the back next to Osamu’s, Atsumu walked toward Sakusa’s seat in the front of the room.</p><p>Sakusa looked up at him from where he was wiping down the top of his desk. “And why would I do that?”</p><p>Atsumu turned to Komori behind Sakusa. “Komori-kun, you’d be nice and lend me Omi-kun’s number, right?”</p><p>“Sorry, Miya.” Komori shrugged helplessly.</p><p>“Aww, is ‘Tsumu-chan still going after Saku-chan?”</p><p>Atsumu groaned inwardly and looked up. Oikawa had poked his head through the door with Iwaizumi over his shoulder, not fair.</p><p>“I’m not sure if you’re just that determined to play out of your league or just too stupid to realize,” Oikawa said in his sugar sweet tone that Astumu hated.</p><p>“Ah, shut yer mouth, Oikawa. I’d fight ya after school, but you think yer too pretty for that, don’tcha?”</p><p>“You’re a piece of crap,” Iwaizumi said, hitting Oikawa over the back of his head. “You should watch out before you get yourself punched.”</p><p>Atsumu turned back to Sakusa, but it was too late. The teacher was already walking in, Oikawa and Iwaizumi had disappeared to their own third year classrooms, and he needed to be back at his desk unless he wanted yelled at again.</p><p>“Anyway,” he said, backing up. “Think about it.”</p><p>“I wouldn’t waste my time,” Sakusa said.</p><p>“Then you should walk home with us and I’ll convince ya,” Atsumu said, but he was already in his desk—Osamu yanking him down into his chair—and Sakusa was facing forward.</p><p>Atsumu cursed his bad luck.</p><p>Sure, he’d hit his record for the amount of words Sakusa had spoken to him in one breath, but he hadn’t made any telling process. Oikawa had gone and wasted precious seconds, too. Atsumu looked forward to the start of every day just for a chance to talk to Sakusa. Each morning was a new shot, a chance of getting a new response out of Sakusa. To either bug him enough that he’d stow that monotone of his, or to surprise him enough to break his guard.</p><p>Atsumu hadn’t seen success yet, and Osamu was right, Sakusa was mostly ignoring him now rather than telling him off. Atsumu wasn’t positive if that was a step forward or a step back.</p><p>But there was one thing that was better, no question.</p><p>This wasn’t like last term. He was being proactive with his feelings and there was no doubt that Sakusa at the very least noticed him, for better or for worse. That was better than crushing on him silently from the sidelines. For three months after moving here, all Atsumu could do was sit by and suffer these newly found feelings.</p><p>But since summer break, he could actually talk to Sakusa. He could breach into his personal space—which he knew Sakusa hated—but he could demand his attention. At least for a few seconds.</p><p>So, he was going to use every trick he could to make Sakusa feel the same way.</p>
<hr/><p>“Okay, so, I know it’s only been two weeks, but won’tcha give this up already?”</p><p>It was still August and too hot to do much, so they were hanging out on the only shaded bench that was on their route home eating popsicles. Atsumu had bought them today after losing rock, paper, scissors.</p><p>“It’s so obvious to everyone but you that it ain’t gonna happen,” Osamu continued. “And it only gives Oikawa more reason to make fun of ya, and dealing with him’s annoyin’ anyway.”</p><p>“’Samu, I’d only give up if I didn’t think I had a chance—”</p><p>“Tch.” Osamu rolled his eyes.</p><p>“—and I <em>so</em> totally have a chance.” Atsumu gnawed on the end of his popsicle stick after having bitten through it. “In fact, I have the best chance outa anyone remotely interested in Sakusa.”</p><p>“Yeah, ya say that and then I have to watch you humiliate yerself every morning.” There was only a small chunk of ice left on Osamu’s stick and it was melting fast. With the stick between his teeth, he tilted his head back for it to slowly slide down toward his mouth. “Actually,” he said through his teeth. “He’s pretty close with Komori. Ya sure that ain’t a thing? ‘Cause, in that case, ya can’t compete with that.”</p><p>While Osamu’s eyes were on the lingering remains of his popsicle, Atsumu reached up and flicked the stick out of his teeth, just before the melting ice could touch his lips.</p><p>“Bastard.” Osamu shoved his face away while Atsumu laughed.</p><p>“No way. Komori’s his cousin, bro.”</p><p>“And how d’ya know that, <em>bro</em>?”</p><p>“Uh, he told me?” Atsumu scoffed but then nearly fell off the bench as Osamu punched his arm, not holding back.  “Sheesh. I told you, ‘member? We hung out.”</p><p>With one last glance at his ruined popsicle, Osamu stood. “Yeah, yeah, the festival. Ya keep sayin’ that, but why don’t I believe ya?”</p><p>Astumu followed after him. “Uh, ‘cause yer the worst?” He got a good shove in. “I’m tellin’ ya, it was a magical night.”</p><p>“Well, somethin’ happened. Ya haven’t stopped botherin’ him since school started.”</p><p>“Yer really the worst.”</p><p>Atsumu froze as a cat stepped out of the bushes, a dark brown one. It looked up at him with squinty eyes, and Atsumu glared back.</p><p>“What, you have a thing against cats?”</p><p>“Just some.” Atsumu stuck his tongue out at it. “Like the ones that can’t mind their own business.”</p><p>Osamu rolled his eyes and kept walking. “Whatever. Look, I’m not helpin’ when somebody finally punches ya in the face. You won’t have any friends and you’ll get in a fight and get expelled. Then mom will cry over her friendless, delinquent son. It’ll probably tear the family apart.”</p><p>“Oh, please. I don’t wanna hear that from you. You don’t have any friends either.”</p><p>“At least I’m not expelled.”</p><p>“I’m not either!”</p><p>“Yet.”</p><p>They turned onto their street. It still didn’t feel completely normal yet. Atsumu still had to think about the turns they made to and from school and whenever they went into town. It wasn’t second nature like it had been in Hyougo.</p><p>“At least I don’t have a crush,” Osamu continued as they approached their house. “Personally, I think that’s the worst sentence you could get.”</p><p>“Shut up,” Atsumu muttered. “Ya know I have a weakness for pretty faces.”</p><p>“I know yer shallow as hell.”</p><p>Atsumu bit off his retort as they stepped inside. They could hear raised voice coming from farther in. He guessed the kitchen. They slipped off their shoes quickly and tiptoed upstairs, luckily out of view from the kitchen and living room.</p><p>“Don’t they ever stop?” Osamu grumbled once they had made it to their room.</p><p>“Nah, then there wouldn’t be a point to comin’ home each day and leavin’ in the morning.” Atsumu dropped his bag next to his desk. Osamu was going through his, ducking under the top bunk as he leafed through for his homework.</p><p>“Bet it’s ‘cause you left yer cereal bowl on the table before we left this morning.”</p><p>Atsumu dragged Osamu’s chair over to the bunk and stepped up, rifling around under his mattress until he found it. “Eh, probably.” He stuffed it into his school jacket before stepping down, leaving Osamu’s chair in the middle of the room.</p><p>Osamu marched over and replaced it, sitting down and laying out his homework. “C’mon, the least you could do is play along.”</p><p>“What, yer dumb game of ‘What’re Mom and Dad Arguing About Today?’”</p><p>“I’ll even give ya a freebie ‘cause I skipped out on dishes last night and Dad had to do ‘em.”</p><p>It wasn’t like their parents were always arguing about them. It was just more fun to tease each other than to guess what they were really talking about. A game like that would just be boring and not worth playing.</p><p>Atsumu rolled his eyes. “That’s dumb. I’m goin’ out.” He opened the sliding glass door to their little balcony. The only things on it were some old pots of dead plants, all dried and withered from the summer sun, pushed off to one side.</p><p>Osamu finally turned away from his homework. “Ya know, yer no fun ever since Sakusa. He’s the only thing bouncin’ around in that empty head o’ yers.”</p><p>“Alright. I’ll be back before dinner,” Atsumu said, stepping outside.</p><p>“Hope ya fall off the roof,” Osamu got out before the door slid shut.</p><p>Outside, Atsumu stepped up on the railing and hauled himself onto the roof. He’d gotten better since the first time when he’d almost fallen off, but it was easier up here. There was less of a chance that Osamu would see him, or anyone else for that matter. Sitting cross-legged on the roof tiles, he reached into his jacket and pulled it out. He cast one cautionary glance down to the empty streets below.</p><p>It was his secret. His surefire way of making sure everything worked out just the way he wanted it. His prize from the summer festival.</p><p>A white cat mask.</p><p>It didn’t have ties or anything to secure it to his face, but the mask didn’t need anything like that because it was magic.</p><p>Everyone in movies and television shows always said magic came with a price but not this.</p><p>
  <em>I’ll give it to you. For free, if you want.</em>
</p><p>That’s what the mask seller had said. No loopholes, no hidden agenda, not even a contract to sign.</p><p>
  <em>I just hope you learn something.</em>
</p><p>It had been during the festival near the end of summer break. After the initial shine of the food and games had worn off, it turned out to bbe pretty lame. Despite their best efforts, their parents had tagged along, until they couldn’t stand pretending to be a nice, cohesive family and had split off, leaving Osamu and Atsumu alone.</p><p>Maybe they could have made the most of it themselves, but after a full term and most of summer break with no one to hang out with but themselves, they were definitely wearing on each other’s patience.</p><p>So, when Atsumu couldn’t catch a goldfish for the third time in a row with Osamu making snide comments over his shoulder while holding the fish he’d already won, Atsumu had had it. He’d wondered off away from Osamu, their parents who were somewhere in the crowd, and everyone else.</p><p>There was a small path that led up to the shrine, but it was mostly deserted since it had gotten dark out. Everyone wanted to be down where the lights and music and food was while they waited for the fireworks to start.</p><p>He’d only stuck around because he thought Sakusa might be around—he’d spotted other classmates, nearly ran into Oikawa, too—but the longer he looked, the more he was sure that there was no way Sakusa would be at such an event. A germaphobe like him at a crowded event like that? Atsumu felt dumb for even considering the possibility.</p><p>Atsumu found the stall once the noise of the festival had dropped away behind him. He was about halfway up the slope to the shrine where shadows were only broken up intermittently by flickering lanterns.</p><p>A man stood alongside it, smoking an old-fashioned pipe and puffing smoke up into the air. He was in traditional dress like many in the crowd Atsumu had left behind, but there was something off about him. Something <em>other</em> about his red and black kimono. It was too vibrant, <em>he</em> was altogether too bright for where they were in the shadows. White hair with black tips, he almost seemed to blur right out of existence. Atsumu squinted, blaming it on spending too much time staring at the bright lights of the festival.</p><p>And when he looked at Atsumu, he didn’t seem surprised to see him.</p><p>Even his memories of it were fuzzy. He remembered looking over the masks, all wooden and artfully painted. He remembered the mask seller giving him one. He remembered the mask seller asking him to try it on.</p><p>Atsumu remembered turning into a cat.</p><p>
  <em>I just hope you learn something.</em>
</p><p>And Atsumu had. For one, he’d learned that Sakusa—clean freak, don’t-touch-anything-you-don’t-have-to Sakusa—liked cats. It was perfect. Another thing he’d learned was that he could find out all sorts of things as a cat. Like a fly on the wall, he could get anywhere, do anything he wanted. Sure, his sights were set on Sakusa, but being a cat was great.</p><p>Being a cat meant he could do all the things Miya Atsumu normally couldn’t.</p><p>And in a new town where he still felt like the new kid, a stray cat was the perfect disguise to fit in.</p><p>So, Atsumu put on the mask, and he leapt down from the roof onto the neighbor’s fence and into the street.</p><p>Just like he had his chance—a few spare minutes—before school to catchup to Sakusa, he had a different chance now. A chance to learn all he could about Sakusa, so that when morning came, he could make do with the advantages he had.</p><p>And that was why he had the best chance in school at getting closer to Sakusa Kiyoomi, the pretty boy, the weird, germaphobe boy, probably the biggest challenge Atsumu had faced. But that made it worth it—no, that made it fun.</p><p>Sakusa only lived a few blocks away. Atsumu already had the route memorized to his cat eyes. In his human body, it would look totally different. He only had to cross a few roads and stick to the bushes and sidewalks. There were plenty of stray cats around, so he went unnoticed for the most part.</p><p>He was up on the rooftops in Sakusa’s neighborhood by the time he spotted him walking along on the path behind his house, and Sakusa was just so tall that Atsumu couldn’t help himself. He jumped, aiming for Sakusa’s shoulder.</p><p>Sakusa only noticed at the last second, turning just slightly. Atsumu tried to get a hold on his jacket, but he still wasn’t too good with his claws yet and slipped right to the ground. He landed on his feet because cats always landed on all fours. So, despite his humiliating entrance, he puffed his chest out, tail high.</p><p>“For a cat, you’re pretty dumb,” Sakusa said, crouching in front of him. He offered his hand out and Atsumu—not quite accustomed to smelling hands yet—bumped it with his nose before pressing the side of his face against Sakusa’s hand. He wasn’t sure if it was the mask or not, but it turned out acting like a cat came pretty easily. “Good landing though, Aki.”</p><p>After another minute of undivided attention and petting, Sakusa finally stood. He clicked his tongue once against the roof of his mouth and start walking. Atsumu followed. He didn’t need a signal to go after Sakusa.</p><p>The downside to being just a random cat to Sakusa was the fact that Sakusa had decided Atsumu’s name. Aki wasn’t awful, but there were so many times he wished Sakusa would call him by his name. Even Miya would do, something he rarely did even in school, and it was no fun being called Miya. Not when Osamu sat next to him or stood somewhere nearby.</p><p>There was a building not far from Sakusa’s house. Atsumu knew it by now. On most nights, Sakusa would always head down after school, which was around the time Atsumu had made his way over in his cat form. It was Sakusa’s grandfather’s art studio where he did everything from painting to sculpting to pottery. Atsumu had picked up over the days spent there that Sakusa’s grandfather taught classes and made things for his personal collection. He had sold some pieces at the festival, Atsumu recalled.</p><p>He also knew that Sakusa didn’t do much when he came by. He’d watch his grandfather and some of the assistants work. Sometimes he’d use the kitchen to make something for Atsumu to eat. Atsumu wasn’t even sure why he bothered coming out here. He rarely ever got his hands dirty enough to actually make something.</p><p>The old man opened the door.</p><p>“Kiyoomi, good to see you,” he said, just like he said every other day. Atsumu darted in-between Sakusa’s feet and through the door. The old man laughed. “I see your little shadow is still following you.”</p><p>“He’d be a better shadow if he were black,” Sakusa said.</p><p>Atsumu wanted to roll his eyes. What a boring color for a cat. That, and being a black cat was just asking for bad luck. He’d seen someone kick a black cat before on the way to work. So, no thank you to that. He was a beautiful orange, an auburn so warm that he wondered if the mask’s magic had anything to do with it.</p><p>In any case, it wasn’t suspicious enough to call unwanted attention. The most Sakusa had commented on it was saying how he was too pretty to be just another dumb, stray animal. And if that was the only reason he was letting him stick around, Atsumu was fine with it. After all, he’d only started liking Sakusa because of his own shallow feelings.</p><p>Sakusa’s grandfather led the way to the work room, a big open space made for classes, except all of the seats were empty now. He sat down at his pottery wheel like he did every evening, and Sakusa took up a seat at one of the tables close by. He never wiped down anything in the workshop, which Atsumu had found odd until he realized that his grandfather kept the place clean enough to even Sakusa’s standards. And Sakusa trusted that he kept it that way.</p><p>But of course the man would know his grandson well enough.</p><p>Clicking his tongue, Sakusa’s grandfather leaned down to snapp his fingers close to the ground, his wrinkled, old face smiling at Atsumu.</p><p>
  <em>Yeah right, old man.</em>
</p><p>Atsumu turned away and made the jump onto the bench and then to the table beside Sakusa.</p><p>“Go see someone who’s actually calling for you,” Sakusa said and tried halfheartedly to push him off the table. “Your paws are probably filthy.”</p><p>“He looks alright to me,” Sakusa’s grandfather said. “He’s pretty clean for a stray. Never a bur on him. He must have owners missing him this time every night.”</p><p>“People shouldn’t keep cats if they’re just going to let them wander, so they shouldn’t be concerned if Aki ever turns up missing.”</p><p>His grandfather laughed. “Oh, are you catnapping Aki then?”</p><p>“No.” Sakusa ducked his head and grabbed his backpack. Like Osamu, Atsumu knew he was responsible enough to work on his homework.</p><p>“No wheel today?” the old man asked. “You should come over and make something with me.”</p><p>“Not feeling it today.”</p><p>“Not feeling it as in can’t or won’t?”</p><p>Atsumu watched Sakusa’s grip on his pencil tighten. His other hand tapped restlessly on the table.</p><p>“Can’t.”</p><p>“I see.”</p><p>It was quiet for a while with just the hum of the wheel spinning while Sakusa’s grandfather manipulated the clay spinning around and around on it. There was the gentle scratch of Sakusa’s pencil. There was even the buzz of bugs over their heads, bumping into the lights. Atsumu’s ears picked up them all.</p><p>He laid down on the table with his paws tucked under him and watched Sakusa worked while the sun went down through the room’s big tall windows. Maybe he could remember Sakusa’s answers for his own homework later that night or in homeroom again tomorrow. Whatever—he yawned—school had felt even less important after moving here and it felt even further away when he was a cat. When he was hanging out with Sakusa. It was something that could all be dealt with later.</p><p>An hour or so later, the pottery wheel slowed its spinning and stopped. Carefully, Sakusa’s grandfather picked up his newly crafted bowl and set it on a counter across the room to dry with other similar projects. He crossed back over to the table Atsumu and Sakusa sat at.</p><p>“You’re doing well in school, aren’t you?”</p><p>“Of course.” Sakusa didn’t look up.</p><p>Hesitating, the old man took a seat across from Sakusa. “Kiyoomi, can I ask something of you?”</p><p>Sakusa raised his head and didn’t say anything.</p><p>“Unlike your mother and father, I won’t tell you I understand your condition. I get my hands dirty every day by choice. It is something I enjoy because I can create beautiful things, so I wouldn’t say anything if you had not expressed an interest in those creations as well as making them when you’re able.”</p><p>“Okay. Then what do you want to say?”</p><p>“I know there are days where you can push your limits and there are days you can’t. Simple as that, right?”</p><p>Sakusa shrugged.</p><p>“Not simple,” his grandfather said. “I know, but my wish for you is that, one day, you won’t let the day decide who and what you’re going to be. That’s all.”</p><p>Smiling thinly, Sakusa stood and neatly shuffled his homework papers to put back into his bag. “Okay,” he said. “Maybe tomorrow then.”</p><p>“You could make a milk bowl for Aki.” The old man smiled and reached out a hand for Atsumu. Begrudgingly, Atsumu let him pat the top of his head.</p><p>“Time to go, Aki.”</p><p>Atsumu darted out from under that hand and onto the ground, right on Sakusa’s heels.</p><p>“Have a good night, you two,” Sakusa’s grandfather called after them.</p><p>Atsumu squeezed through the door before Sakusa could get a foot out. The sky was pretty dark already. He should leave if he wanted to make it home in time for dinner, especially if he didn't want Osamu to come under fire for why Atsumu was late.</p><p>But still, Atsumu hesitated going too far from Sakusa's heels as he walked the path back to his house, where his family would be having their own dinner. Atsumu knew if he continued to follow Sakusa, he'd get a decent meal. Decent for a human, but it would spoil his cat stomach. He'd done it once before last weekend when his parents were out of town, leaving him and Osamu on their own for food.</p><p>So, he was definitely tempted by the quiet evening and Sakusa's presence beside him, not saying much but walking slow enough that Atsumu didn't have to trot to keep up. This cat life was so much easier than the dinner that awaited him at home.</p><p>But he was a good brother, so when Sakusa made the turn toward his house, Atsumu continued straight where the path led to the road. He stopped and looked back, waiting for Sakusa to notice, which he did.</p><p>“Time to go?”</p><p>Atsumu turned meowed. Sakusa had stopped at the corner of his house. Atsumu let out another meow, then a third. He could almost get distract by the way he sounded, the way it felt different in his throat than talking. It had come to him effortlessly in this form. Nearly everything about being a cat had.</p><p>“Well,” Sakusa paused, his hands shoved into his pockets, and Atsumu waited, “find a home or somewhere to stay in. If you come back tomorrow all dirty, I’m not petting you.”</p><p>If Atsumu’s face had the muscles to smile right then, he’d be grinning. Instead, he meowed again and again and all the way as he ran off.</p><p>Sakusa worried about him, in his own Sakusa sort of way. He thought about where Atsumu was spending the night and how he’d get his next meal, even if it was Aki he was truly thinking off. Still, in some small way, Atsumu was there in his thoughts.</p><p>But he gradually slowed his run. It had been a good night. Atsumu was only bummed at realizing he only walked away from Sakusa this happy when he was a cat. When he was human, it was full of regret and missed chances and longing for tomorrow to do it all again but better.</p><p>Except tomorrow started the weekend, which meant Atsumu could spend all the time he wanted with Sakusa as a cat. He wouldn’t get a chance to actually talk to him until Monday.</p><p>He rounded the next corner. Just a few houses more before he reached his own, and the sun had completely gone down yet. He would definitely make it in time for dinner.</p><p>Another cat stepped out from between houses, causing Atsumu to skid to a halt and scramble backwards. He usually tried to avoid the other strays since he didn’t have the whole claw mechanic down yet to go about protecting himself.</p><p>But the cat stopped and turned its bright brown eyes onto him. Atsumu recognized the cat.</p><p>“Hello, Atsumu,” the cat said. He was white and long-haired. The very tips of his fur were black as well as the tops of his ears. “Enjoyin’ the mask?”</p><p>“Kita-san.” Atsumu only recognized the larger cat because it had been the mask seller who helped orient him after turning into a cat for the first time the night of the festival.</p><p>That, and he was the only other person—thing who had a Kansai dialect like his family. And that was comforting enough that Atsumu didn’t want to question it.</p><p>Kita sat, eyes piercing through Atsumu.</p><p>Atsumu looked away. “The mask is fine.” He glanced up then away again. “Thanks.”</p><p>“If yer not happy with the mask, I can take it back.”</p><p>“No,” Atsumu said sharply, before he forced himself back. He could feel his ears ying flat.</p><p>“Or if it’s yer human life that you dread returnin’ to, I can take that from you if you want,” Kita said, standing and walking slowly toward Atsumu to circle him. “It it’s troublin’ you that greatly.”</p><p>“No, it’s not that—” Atsumu cut himself off. “What do ya mean you can take that?” He turned to look at Kita over his shoulder.</p><p>“Just as you have a mask for yer new cat life, you also have a human mask.” Kita straightened on his hindlegs and turned into his human form, the same one Atsumu recognized from meeting him at the festival, fancily dressed and all. Atsumu stared at his clogs. “You can’t keep both forever. A paw in both worlds is…dangerous. Eventually, you’ll have to choose.”</p><p>Atsumu’s eyes narrowed at him as Kita circled back in front of him and crouched down. “What d’you get outa this anyway?” he asked. “All ya do is give away masks. What’s the catch?”</p><p>“You already asked that,” Kita said. “There ain’t a catch. I’m intendin’ to give those that need it a choice. What kinda life do you want to live? Everyone has to make that decision, but some put it off. I give you a choice that demands an answer. Only after makin’ it can you move forward.”</p><p>“Yeah, whatever,” Atsumu said, getting to his feet to go around Kita. He needed to be getting home. “<em>My</em> intention is usin’ it to get Sakusa to like me, then I’m done with all this.”</p><p>Kita stood and followed him, his steps slow to match his pace. “Wouldja tell him the truth?”</p><p>“No way. That’d be totally creepy.”</p><p>“Seems to me he likes you better as a cat.”</p><p>“Thanks for yer honesty,” Atsumu said dryly.</p><p>Kita stopped, causing Atsumu to hesitate a few steps ahead and look back.</p><p>“Figure out which way’s best. Like I said, you can’t be both human and cat forever. The world doesn’t work that way,” Kita said, and before he was even finished speaking, his entire body bled away into thin air until nothing was left.</p><p>Atsumu rolled his eyes. “Says the guy changin’ into both right in front of me.”</p><p>But Kita was gone, and Atsumu was going to be late for dinner if he didn’t hurry. He saved worrying over Kita’s warning for another time. It wasn’t like Kita was demanding his human mask, whatever that meant. Atsumu had time to not worry about it. He had better things to waste his time thinking about, like how he was going to spend the weekend making sure Sakusa talked to him more than his typical dry remarks on Monday.</p><p>Or how Sakusa had been the one to find him after Kita had left the night of the festival. Atsumu was still feeling disoriented and vaguely nauseous on the steps of the shrine, trying to figure out how exactly he was going to use this mask when Sakusa had walked right up the path. Atsumu had heard the footsteps before he’d seen him, but he had been prepared to ignore just about anyone.</p><p>Except Sakusa.</p><p>He would’ve never guessed Sakusa would be there. In fact, he had just been wandering the festival all dejected after realizing that Sakusa would never be at such a place and kicking himself for even getting his hopes up.</p><p>And Sakusa hadn’t been at the festival, but Atsumu hadn’t thought he’d be at the now dark and deserted shrine at this time of night either.</p><p>He’d sat perfectly still as Sakusa approached, afraid he might scare him off. Sakusa hadn’t even realized he was sitting there until he almost stepped on him going up the stairs.</p><p>Atsumu yowled—the first sound he’d made so far as a cat—and nearly fell down the stairs. His feet found the ground like magnets, and while his body seemed composed, his head was spinning.</p><p>Sakusa stared for a moment, startled ever so slightly. Atsumu braced for one of his scathingly monotone comments like he usually received at school whenever he spoke too loudly and too closely to Sakusa. At the end of last term, he hadn’t yet gathered the nerve to talk to Sakusa, so he settled on speaking loudly to Osamu as close as he could get without popping Sakusa’s bubble.</p><p>He hadn’t seen Sakusa longer than usual because of break, but the sight of him sent his heart hammering and he hated how it shook his smaller cat body.</p><p>But Sakusa didn’t say anything. He just sat where Atsumu had been on the steps. Below, the festival still glittered brightly with activity. Atsumu jumped back up beside him, not too close at first, but then Sakusa offered his hand.</p><p>“It looks like it’s going to rain soon,” he said.</p><p>Atsumu looked away from the hand, not know what to do with it, and up at Sakusa. Slowly, Sakusa scratched behind one of his ears and, oh man, did that feel better than it would to a human ear.</p><p>“You’re a weird cat,” Sakusa said, and with both hands, he removed his facemask, tucking it carefully into his jacket pocket. “You’re too clean to be a stray. Do you belong to the shrine?”</p><p>Atsumu’s reply came out a meow. It was too late for him to realize that animals normally didn’t make replies every time a human spoke to it. He was too used to acting like a human would. He meowed again, like that might make the first one not as awkward, but all he felt was his fur bristling at his own embarrassment. That was a new sensation, which only made it worse.</p><p>“You should be down there,” Sakusa said, nodding toward the festival. “I’m sure a bunch of people would feed you. I don’t have anything with me.”</p><p>Contrary to his words, Sakusa reached over and picked Atsumu up, causing him to <em>mep</em> in surprise at being handled. Then, he was settled in Sakusa’s lap and it was like the stars had aligned. Atsumu knew exactly why Kita had appeared to him, why he’d been gifted this magical power.</p><p>Clearly some magical force wanted him to win Sakusa’s heart. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have brought Sakusa here right at this moment or made him have an obvious affinity for cats. This was perfect.</p><p>So, when Atsumu had told Osamu that he had hung out with Sakusa at the festival, it hadn’t been a lie. Sakusa might not have known it was him, but Atsumu had been mostly truthful when he’d said it.</p><p>“You don’t know how lucky you have it,” Sakusa continued. Overhead, the fireworks were starting. “You can go anywhere you want unnoticed, but you can get whatever you want just because of what you are. Maybe not unnoticed—” he jostled Atsumu in his arms to get a better look “—you have weird fur. I don’t think I’ve seen this color on a cat before.”</p><p>Atsumu’s ears twitched at the compliment and he meowed.</p><p>Sakusa stroked a hand over his back. “And you smell clean. Someone must take good care of you,” he said. “But you don’t have to worry about what you’re eating or who pets you. You’re just a cat. You don’t care about that kind of stuff.”</p><p>Atsumu craned his head back to get a better look at Sakusa, but there was nothing telling on his face as he stared back at him with those dark eyes.</p><p>“Well, normal people don’t worry about the kind of stuff I worry about, too. So, I guess that doesn’t make you all that special.”</p><p>Beneath his hind paw, Atsumu felt something vibrate. Sakusa reached beneath him and grabbed his phone. The screen illuminated his face, and he sighed and pocketed it again. Then, he reached under Atsumu, picked him up again, and turned him around until they were nearly nose-to-noise.</p><p>If Atsumu’s face hadn’t been covered in fur, he’d be blushing.</p><p>“You’re Aki, got it?” Sakusa said. His tone was forceful, but the sentiment made Atsumu all warm inside. “That’s what I’m calling you.”</p><p>Part of Atsumu felt disconnected from being called a name that wasn’t his own, but it was a very small part of him. The rest was melting over being given a name by Sakusa. He blamed that reaction on being a cat as well.</p><p>Then, he had a thought. It was probably a not a good idea kind of thought, but he wasn’t in his own body. The consequences didn’t seem so severe compared to if he were human.</p><p>His whiskers quivered, and he licked Sakusa’s nose.</p><p>At first, Sakusa’s face scrunched up in disgust. Atsumu prepared to be dropped, but Sakusa’s grip tightened, maybe fighting off the urge.</p><p>After a tense moment, Sakusa set him on the ground and stood up, pulling out his mask again.</p><p>“I’ll feed you if you ever drop by, Aki,” he said shortly, and then was off back down the path.</p><p>Atsumu stared after him.</p><p>And if he hadn’t been convinced before that night, he definitely was then. There was no doubt in his mind that he was going to win over Sakusa, and he was going to use this magical cat mask to do it.</p><p>The fireworks were still going off above, and Atsumu knew that the very first step was getting Sakusa to love Aki. Then, loving Miya Atsumu wouldn’t be too far behind.</p>
<hr/><p>Atsumu slid back inside just as Osamu was getting up from his desk. He threw a scowl Atsumu’s way as Atsumu grabbed the chair nearly right out from under him. Sticking his tongue out, Atsumu stealthily stowed the cat mask back under his pillow.</p><p>“You were almost late,” Osamu said as Atsumu jumped back down.</p><p>“But I wasn’t.”</p><p>“If you’d been late, I would’ve had to make up an excuse for ya,” Osamu said. “And you know mom hates that.”</p><p>“Ya know she just pretends to care about family dinner,” Atsumu said as they went out into the hall. “It wouldn’t have been that big’a deal.”</p><p>Osamu shoved him into the wall. “Yeah, says the idiot who wouldn’t have to deal with the consequences of his own actions.”</p><p>“Oh yeah? Who’s the idiot? That <em>hurt</em>.” Atsumu rubbed his shoulder.</p><p>“Too slow, dumbass,” Osamu chided as he sidestepped Atsumu’s counter swing and stepped into the kitchen.</p><p>“Bastard,” Atsumu said quietly as he followed, but not quiet enough.</p><p>“Hey, language,” their mom snapped, turning from the stove wielding a wooden spoon.</p><p>“Sorry,” they both groaned and plopped into their seats where their dad already sat, Atsumu adding, “You can’t possibly have that good’a hearin’.”</p><p>She turned her back on them. “Mom sense.”</p><p>“Give ‘em a break, dear,” their dad said, not looking up from the email he was typing up on his phone. “They’ve worked hard today, right boys?”</p><p>“Sure,” Osamu said.</p><p>“Or something,” Atsumu added.</p><p>“Busy with homework?”</p><p>“Sure,” Atsumu said.</p><p>“Nearly finished,” Osamu added.</p><p>Their mom brought in dinner, pork curry donburi, and Atsumu found himself disappointed they weren’t having fish.</p><p>What was he—a real cat? He needed to get that thought out of his head.</p><p>“I will not give them a break,” she was saying as she sat down. Atsumu could almost feel his eyes rolling into the back of his head. Dinner was off to a great start. “Usin’ appropriate language has been a rule in this house since they started pickin’ ‘em up from you on yer business calls years ago.”</p><p>“Technically, we haven’t been here that long,” Osamu said breathily so that only Atsumu could hear.</p><p>“Oh, so it’s my fault then.”</p><p>“No, but if I ask them t’not do something, don’t tell them it’s fine.”</p><p>“Here we go,” Atsumu muttered.</p><p>“Off to the races,” Osamu muttered back.</p><p>“Thanks for the food,” they both said and started eating. Fortunately, that was a good enough cue for their parents to begin eating as well, and when that happened, it meant their mouths were too busy to do much else. Atsumu and Osamu shoveled food into their mouths quickly.</p><p>“How were your days?” their mom asked, because the silence could never be kept for long.</p><p>“It was fine,” Atsumu said while Osamu shrugged with his mouth full.</p><p>“You’re well into your second term, I’m sure you’ve gotten the hang of a new school by now. Lots of new friends?” She smiled.</p><p>Atsumu cringed. “Oh yeah.”</p><p>“Tons,” Osamu added.</p><p>Their mom beamed even brighter and their dad huffed agreeably at the other end of the table.</p><p>Atsumu shot Osamu a look. Osamu raised his brows.</p><p>“Well,” Atsumu said.</p><p>“Dinner was great,” Osamu said.</p><p>“Very great.”</p><p>“If you’ll excuse us.”</p><p>“Homework.”</p><p>And with that, their plates were cleaned off and in the sink, and they were both free to retreat back to their bedrooms. Another successful dinner had passed and the house was still standing.</p><p>The second the door was closed behind them, Atsumu climbed up into his bunk. Osamu readjusted his chair and sat down at his desk.</p><p>“Don’tcha have homework to do?”</p><p>“Done.”</p><p>“No it’s not.” Osamu turned his chair to look up at him while Atsumu smirked at the ceiling.</p><p>“Well, it’ll be done before I turn it in.”</p><p>“Doubt it.”</p><p>Atsumu turned on his side. “You say that every night, but I’m never wrong.”</p><p>“Not yet.”</p><p>Raised voices floated up from downstairs, pausing their conversation. Atsumu flopped over onto his back again.</p><p>“Bet our teacher called and told ‘em yer homework sucks,” Osamu said.</p><p>“Wrong,” Atsumu shot back. “The phone didn’t ring. I bet it’s ‘cause you left yer smelly socks on the floor again.”</p><p>“Nah, it’s definitely ‘cause you chewed with yer mouth open at dinner.”</p><p>“No, you didn’t get all the food offa yer plate.”</p><p>“It’s—”</p><p>“<em>And</em>—” Atsumu cut in “—you didn’t eat enough at dinner, so Mom’s prolly mad you threw out halfa her food <em>and</em> because she thinks you think it sucked.”</p><p>There was the sound of wood scraping against wood as Osamu pushed himself back in his chair. “Oddly specific.”</p><p>“Gotta get creative to win.” Atsumu grinned at the ceiling. He’d gotten it on the nose. “I know you, ‘Samu. I know you think yer cooking’s better than Mom’s.”</p><p>Suddenly, a pillow wacked him in the face, leaving him sputtering.</p><p>“I don’t think it, I <em>know</em> it,” Osamu said, sitting smugly in his chair again. “And you know it, too, idiot.”</p><p>“Rude,” Atsumu mumbled.</p><p>“Anyway, come down and do yer homework. I can’t sit in the same room as you if all yer gonna do it daydream about yer crush.”</p><p>“Aw, somebody’s jealous.”</p><p>“It’s creepy.”</p><p>Atsumu sat up, his hair just barely brushing the ceiling. Seeing Osamu’s back turned to him, he stuck out his tongue. What he wouldn’t give for his own bedroom sometimes. Not even that, a whole other life. Now that they had quieted down, their parents’ voices were coming through again.</p><p>It’d be great to just graduate already. Maybe he’d follow Sakusa off to college or something. That sounded nice. He’d probably have to drag Osamu along, too. They were the inseparable Miya twins after all. Going anywhere without him felt odd, especially after this whole moving ordeal. Atsumu had been fine being friendless before, but Osamu had had friends, and that, technically, had meant he had some semblance of friends as well. Now, even a full semester in, all they seemed to have was each other.</p><p>If only he could get Sakusa to take him seriously. If he had the courage to tell him how he felt, then there would be no more need for Aki and the mask and ditching Osamu and nearly missing family dinner.</p><p>But he couldn’t get more than ten words out of Sakusa, and he definitely didn’t have the courage to bare his heart to him out of nowhere. Not yet anyway.</p><p>Sakusa was this straightforward kind of guy, pretty as a model, but that was something Atsumu had known before his time as a cat. Now, though, he knew Sakusa did things with a purpose, even if it was just being his clean freak self. He thought deeply, like with the art at his grandpa’s studio. There was always a thoughtful decision to be made every time he stepped foot inside the building, and even if he decided against the dirtiness that came with making something, he still gave it the courtesy of considering it.</p><p>If only he’d bother considering Atsumu the same way. Just with art, there may be a slim chance of him saying yes, but maybe it he thought about it, there would be one time that he would.</p><p>But as things were, Aki was the only version of Atsumu that Sakusa seemed to like, and he definitely couldn’t tell Sakusa that he was a stray cat. Whatever strange magic he’d gotten his hands on, it wasn’t something he could just spit out and expect people to take seriously. Not even Osamu.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I am so pumped to finally start posting my first sakuatsu fic because I've been totally obsessed with them. When I watched A Whisker Away, all I could think about was an AU for these two. So, this fic will definitely have some A Whisker Away spoilers, but it'll have a slightly different concept to it and an entirely different ending. </p><p>Thank you so much for reading!</p><p>  <a href="http://silentmarco.tumblr.com">My Tumblr</a><br/></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Fight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The weekend was like a dream. Every weekend had been that way since summer break had ended. In fact, Atsumu was probably the only one excited to be back at school. With new courage and determination to pop Sakusa’s bubble and then secretly visiting later on as Aki, the way Atsumu saw it, things were really coming together.</p><p>Weekends, however, were frustratingly unproductive, yet Atsumu found himself loving them even more at times. The only time he had to be home was for family dinners. Other than that, he was free to blow off schoolwork and his family and do whatever he pleased, and that meant spending the days with Sakusa.</p><p>They were repetitive, lazy days. Sakusa worked hard in school, which made sense because he was smart and always near the top of their class, so he spent most of his time on homework and school projects. That was something Atsumu should’ve spent his time doing as well, but when he was a cat, he was just too content laying in the sunlight that spilled into the art studio, watching Sakusa work, the pottery wheel whizzing like white noise in the background.</p><p>Though he didn’t get to interact with Sakusa as Atsumu—which was really the whole point of his plan—he didn’t mind very much. Especially when Sakusa was gentler with Aki than Atsumu had ever seen him with a person.</p><p>Sakusa would pick him up and carry him around, or sometimes Atsumu would crawl up and balance on his shoulder, which Sakusa always permitted even if he said otherwise. Atsumu would meow and meow, on and on when he got bored and missed talking as much as he did as a human, and Sakusa would call him a mouthy pest, that he’d never heard a cat try to talk so much, but he would take a break from his work then and walk around with Atsumu outside.</p><p>He even held Atsumu up once so that they were face-to-face, just like at the festival. Atsumu’s whiskers twitched, tickling Sakusa’s cheek, but his face was stone. Then, Atsumu chanced licking his nose again, which apparently was what Sakusa was waiting for. His eye twitched, his hands tightened their grip, and Atsumu watched back steadily, waiting for some kind of reaction, even to be dropped.</p><p>But Sakusa never dropped him. His hands were always kind, and the more Atsumu visited, the less they hesitated in petting him. They stroked down his back and twirled around his tail as it instinctively twined loosely around his arm.</p><p>The best part was that Atsumu got to see Sakusa smile on rare occasion, like at the end of a long day and he forgot to keep up his stoic façade. He never wore a face mask around his home, and in the beginning, Atsumu had to watch how much he stared at his bare face, mapping every inch of it because he wasn’t allowed to stare so unabashedly anywhere else nor did he get such a perfect, unobstructed view.</p><p>And he did think about what Kita had said, about telling Sakusa the truth. Not the truth about him being Aki—there were too many strings attached to that truth, and Atsumu wasn’t about to try explaining that one—but the truth about his feelings. Surely, he could find some way of getting through to Sakusa. He could find some way of being…less himself and more like Aki.</p><p>He was still a bit mouthy as a cat, but it was easier to be quiet this way. Could there be a way for him to match that in the human world? Retain some qualities from this cat life that would make him more likeable as Atsumu?</p><p>Not to everyone, of course, just to Sakusa.</p><p>And if that was impossible, and there was no way to change from this human that he was—anxious but over-confident to a fault, a perfectionist, obnoxious to the point of provoking others—and if Sakusa and maybe the world just liked him better as a cat, what then?</p><p>Fortunately, that was a question that didn’t need answering for a long time. There was too much to do to test his theories before he hit the end of the road.</p><p>For now, he was just enjoying the last few hours of freedom this Sunday with Sakusa before he headed home. Tomorrow, he’d begin again as Atsumu and hope for a breakthrough.</p>
<hr/><p>“Omi-Omi!” He was running down the hall the following morning to get to the classroom, but that was only because he hadn’t caught up to Sakusa and Komori as usual out front, which was because Osamu had been running late.</p><p>Atsumu had left him behind the second they’d step foot on campus and he’d realized how late it was. If he didn’t hurry, he’d miss those precious minutes before their morning classes. Then, that would be a complete waste of a day, and if that happened, he wouldn’t talk to Osamu for the rest of the week.</p><p>Sakusa turned around just outside the door to their classroom. He never turned around when Atsumu called, which was why he ended up sliding right past, slipping in his school shoes, and landing face first on the ground.</p><p>He heard Komori stifling a laugh into his hand, which was such a soft sound that Atsumu wondered if the mask’s magic was lingering despite not having it on. That would explain why Sakusa had turned when he’d called. That could be the only explanation. Atsumu peeled his face off the linoleum to look up, and sure enough, Komori looked as though he was laughing off the second-hand embarrassment, while Sakusa stared down at him. He blinked. Then, he turned to enter the classroom with Komori following.</p><p>“Very graceful,’Tsumu-chan,” Oikawa remarked, clapping slowly as he and Iwaizumi passed by for their own classroom.</p><p>Atsumu dropped his head back to the floor, wanting to lay there forever and melt into the ground, but a hand grabbed a fistful of his jacket and pulled him to his feet.</p><p>“Yer a moron,” Osamu said, brushing down Atsumu’s back and shoving him toward class. He glared over his shoulder at Oikawa’s retreating back.</p><p>Atsumu sighed dramatically at the ceiling. “Toss me in the trash, woudja?”</p><p>“Can’t. We have math.”</p><p>And he was so distracted by his literal slip-up, that he couldn’t even finish his homework in homeroom. He had nothing to hand in for their math assignment and only a partially done paper for English, which all led to further embarrassment distracting him from the lesson. For once, he hoped Sakusa wouldn’t glance back or catch his eye. Atsumu wanted to turn invisible or sink into the floor or maybe something could fall from the ceiling and hit him in the head, an instant K.O.</p><p>“Lunch,” Osamu said, standing over him after English ended.</p><p>Atsumu gazed up at him. “Didja make me somethin’ good?” he asked pathetically, causing Osamu to roll his eyes.</p><p>“Isn’t it always good?” Osamu set the bento on top of Atumu’s head and started out of the room.</p><p>At their old school, Atsumu usually took his lunch on the roof. That was partly because he’d stolen the key from one of the janitors and partly because Osamu usually had better company than him. Now, neither of them had much choice.</p><p>Atsumu had chosen the bridge between the school buildings overlooking the courtyard on day one. It was busy with other students, but it was a nice day out. There was no reason to be cooped up indoors.</p><p>“Ya know, you really do cook better than Mom.”</p><p>As usual, Osamu’s cooking did wonders for improving his mood.</p><p>Osamu glanced at him sideways, unimpressed. “Yer only sayin’ that so you can keep gettin’ outa makin’ yer own lunches.”</p><p>“Both can be correct.”</p><p>Osamu raised his hand to swipe at him, but Atsumu dodged, carefully keeping any food from falling on the ground.</p><p>“Atsumu was particularly annoying today,” floated up from the courtyard, making Atsumu pause and miss whatever Osamu said next.</p><p>He caught his name easily but scowled when he recognized the voice attached to it.</p><p>“I mean, could he be more predictable?” Laughing to himself, Oikawa leaned back on the fountain he and Iwaizumi were having their lunch on. Atsumu wished he’d slip and fall in.</p><p>“You two are cut from the same obnoxious cloth,” Iwaizumi said. “That’s probably why you don’t get along. That, and you’re just a shitty person.”</p><p>“Mean, Iwa-chan! So mean! You’re supposed to say, <em>You’re right, Tooru. I’m so glad you’re my friend instead of that asshole</em>.”</p><p>“You should just ignore each other and make everyone’s lives that much better.”</p><p>“He’s always Sakusa this and Sakusa that,” Oikawa continued, pretending not to have hear. “Can’t he take a hint? It’s embarrassing to watch. Though that faceplant this morning was pretty funny.”</p><p>Atsumu could feel Osamu watching him even though his head wasn’t turned his way.</p><p>“What,” Atsumu said.</p><p>Osamu rolled his eyes. “Yer really gonna sit here and listen to Oikawa talk shit about you all through lunch?”</p><p>Atsumu propped himself up to sit on the railing and shrugged. “It’s not like I care.”</p><p>Elbows on the railing, Osamu covered his face with both his hands. “This is why you never have friends,” he groaned. “This is why we can’t make friends.”</p><p>“Anyway, Sakusa’s pretty enough. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not prettier than you, Iwa-can—”</p><p>“Shut up,” Iwaizumi sighed, but his face was red.</p><p>“—but what’s the point? It’s not like he’d let anyone hold his hand, let alone anything else that comes with dating. Besides, with that and his stuck-up attitude, he hardly has time for us commoners. No fun in that.”</p><p>Atsumu’s jaw clenched shut, and he was turning himself over the edge before he realized it. Osamu grabbed the back of his jacket.</p><p>“’Tsumu, don’t be an idiot,” he hissed. The girls standing closest to them were staring. “If you gotta pick a fight, use the stairs.”</p><p>Atsumu laughed. “That doesn’t sound nearly as impactful.”</p><p>Osamu probably had some biting retort at the ready, but Atsumu didn’t hear him. He was too busy pushing off the edge, aiming for the tree just a jump away.</p><p>A few weeks ago, he probably would’ve just yelled down to Oikawa and caused a huge scene, and Oikawa would no doubt tease him for it when they went back to class. Atsumu would have said something smooth to Sakusa about protecting his honor and he would’ve been blown off. Again.</p><p>But, a few weeks ago, he didn’t have the instinct that, if he jumped, he would definitely land on his feet. All four of them.</p><p>Fortunately for him, the tree slowed his descent. The branches snapped under his weight and scraped at any exposed skin. Thicker branches thudded against his shins, toppling him forward toward the ground.</p><p>He did land on all fours, until he nearly sprawled face first and ate dirt. He felt the tingle travel up his spine from the jolt to his feet and knees.</p><p>Definitely not as easy as a cat.</p><p>But better than getting a face full of dirt.</p><p>“Are you an idiot?” Oikawa had stood up from the fountain and was frowning down at him. “Or are you actually trying to get yourself killed?”</p><p>In fact, both Iwaizumi and Oikawa were hovering, and if Atsumu had been slightly less pissed off, he would’ve seen they were looking at him with concern, not scorn. But Atsumu had already amped himself up for a fight, and the adrenaline rush from falling didn’t help.</p><p>“You’ve got a big mouth, ya know,” he said, straightening, forcing himself not to wince at the bruises he could already feel forming.</p><p>Oikawa planted a hand on his hip, any concern melting into annoyance. “Huh? Have I said something worse than I normally do, ‘Tsumu? Or did you just feel like jumping from a second story building today?” Oikawa smirked. “You’ll have to explain it to me.”</p><p>Atsumu lunged forward, grabbing two fistfuls of the front of Oikawa jacket. “I don’t care whatcha say about me, asshole.” He gave Oikawa a shake. “But Omi-kun has done nothin’ to ya, so leave him outa it!”</p><p>“Oh, so you’re just standing up for your <em>boyfriend</em>.” Oikawa attempted to shove him off, but Atsumu hung on stubbornly. “Just so you know, ‘Tsumu—” he shoved again “—he doesn’t actually <em>like</em> you.” Another shove sent Atsumu sprawling backward.</p><p>Not finished with him yet, Atsumu cocked his arm back and punched without thinking. Oikawa mirrored him unintentionally, and their fists connected with the other’s face simultaneously.</p><p>In any other situation, it might’ve been funny. In fact, to many who had gathered around to watch, it was.</p><p>Oikawa wiped at his bloody nose with the back of his hand while Atsumu checked his split lip with his thumb. They glared at each other over the blood on their hands.</p><p>By the time Osamu made it down the steps a minute later, the two were at each other’s throats, Oikawa shoving Atsumu’s face away while his other hand braced against Atsumu’s oncoming strike. Atsumu’s other hand was tangled in Oikawa’s hair, pulling it back. Iwaizumi was putting in a noble effort in trying to drag Oikawa away, but the two were hanging onto each other too tightly. In the end, Iwaizumi was only dragging them both through the dirt.</p><p>If Osamu hadn’t arrived when he had, Iwaizumi might have succeeded in throwing them both into the fountain.</p><p>Instead, Osamu kicked Atsumu in the side and used the moment of surprise to pry him from Oikawa. With him and Iwaizumi pulling in opposite directions, they were able to separate the two.</p><p>“You are—” Oikawa sputtered in his incredulity “—<em>unbelievable</em>.”</p><p>Iwaizumi was muttering something darkly into his ear, but Atsumu couldn’t hear. His blood was rushing in his own ears as he caught his breath leaning forward against Osamu’s grip. He shook Atsumu from behind, calling him an idiot and other colorful names that Atsumu didn’t bother remembering. Iwaizumi pulled Oikawa away, who was still glaring at him and whose nose was still bleeding. The crowd that had gathered was dispersing. The scuffle had barely lasted a few minutes. Not long enough for any teachers to be called.</p><p>But Atsumu wasn’t paying attention to any of that. He couldn’t, not when he noticed two students making their way across the courtyard from the same stairwell Osamu had burst from on his way to break up the fight.</p><p>It was Sakusa, with Komori just a step behind him.</p><p>Atsumu wanted to be happy to see him. He didn’t think Sakusa had ever walked up to him before. It’d always been Atsumu rushing up to him in the morning and whenever else he got the chance during the day.</p><p>But now, Atsumu was bruised and bloodied. A site Sakusa would surely turn his nose up at. Not only that, but Atsumu cringed inwardly at the thought of Sakusa having overheard what Oikawa had said. Sakusa didn’t seem like the type of guy who’d want someone like Atsumu sticking up for him and doing it in such a public manner.</p><p>If anything, Sakusa would be coming over here to tell Atsumu off. To tell him to never speak to him again, to leave him alone, and to mind his own business. Atsumu’s stomach soured at the thought as Osamu released him.</p><p>“That looked pretty stupid,” Sakusa said. He wasn’t wearing his facemask, which meant Atsumu got the full pretty sight of his face, including the upturned brows and the pinch to his lips as he stared down his nose disapprovingly at Atsumu.</p><p>Still, Atsumu couldn’t help himself.</p><p>“Well, that’s alright then,” he said, flirty charm coming back like second nature no matter the blood he tasted on his tongue. He winked. “It’s alright ‘cause you called me pretty.”</p><p>Sakusa’s expression dropped into something Atsumu couldn’t decipher—it hardly mattered if his face was half covered or not, his expressions could still remain a mystery—but he certainly didn’t look impressed.</p><p>“Are you alright?”</p><p>Atsumu’s heart stopped. Then it pounded back to life.</p><p>Suddenly, he understood just why hearts went all <em>doki-doki</em> in shoujo manga.</p><p>He almost punched himself in the face at that thought, and then nearly did it again when he realized Sakusa was still waiting for his answer.</p><p>“’Course I’m fine, Omi-kun! Look at me. Best I’ve ever been. I mean, didja see that landing?”</p><p>Somewhere over Atsumu’s shoulder, Osamu huffed a sigh.</p><p>“He needs to go to the nurse,” Osamu said flatly. “I’m positive he’s concussed or some shit.”</p><p>“Very likely,” Sakusa said equally deadpanned with a nod. Komori snorted out a laugh of his own agreement.</p><p>“Dude, you look awful,” he said.</p><p>Atsumu stepped forward, fist half raised. “Hey, I said I’m fine!” But his full weight on his right foot caused him to stumble slightly before he regained his balance. He glanced down to find the pant leg of his uniform torn and his ankle bleeding lazily. It must’ve happened from falling through the tree.</p><p>He grimaced down at it. He’d only ended up embarrassing himself instead of acting cool by trying to stick up for Sakusa. The result was bloodier and more painful than he’d expected, too.</p><p>“I’ll catch up with you after,” Sakusa said to Komori before he turned his eyes on Atsumu. “Let’s go, Miya.”</p><p>Atsumu blinked upward from his ankle. “Huh?”</p><p>Sakusa scowled. “I’m taking you to the nurse,” he said, heading toward the stairwell. “Hurry up if you don’t want to miss the rest of lunch. You can walk, can’t you?”</p><p>Glancing at Osamu who raised his eyebrows suggestively, Atsumu followed, muttering, “Yeah, yeah,” under his breath. He only hesitated at the foot of the tree where the remains of his lunch laid scattered. “Ah man, ‘Samu’s gonna kill me.”</p><p>“You should’ve thought of that before jumping,” Sakusa said, looking back over his shoulder at him.</p><p>Sighing, Atsumu abandoned his lunch. He placed a hand over his stomach mournfully. It looked as though he’d go hungry through afternoon classes, but that was the price for picking a fight with Oikawa.</p><p>“He deserved it,” Atsumu said.</p><p>“You shouldn’t let other people’s words get to you like that,” Sakusa said, watching from the corner of his eye. “I don’t.”</p><p>Atsumu huffed. “Yeah, well, maybe you should.”</p><p>“You don’t either,” Sakusa continued. “At least, not when it’s about you.”</p><p>“That’s ‘cause I don’t care what people think about me. I don’t need friends,” Atsumu said. “‘Samu’s the one who cares about that kinda stuff.”</p><p>They stopped outside the door to the nurse’s room. Atsumu huffed again. It was the first time Sakusa had spent time alone with him of his own will and Atsumu had ruined it by being too blunt. If only he could control the words coming out of his mouth. That was why it was so much easier being around Sakusa when he was Aki. Then, he didn’t have to worry about saying the wrong thing and pushing Sakusa away.</p><p>“Then why do you bother with me.” Sakusa had turned to face him, mouth firmly set, his eyes boring into Atsumu, and Atsumu had to remind himself how blunt Sakusa could be as well. He was reminded of all those times Sakusa had brushed him off with stinging one-liners in the morning before he started to ignore Atsumu’s attempts, brushing him off with fewer and fewer words.</p><p>But just as Atsumu opened his mouth, trying to come up with something to say, Sakusa reached forward and opened the door, not waiting for a response.</p><p>“Go get that cleaned up,” he said, looking at Atsumu’s ankle. “Otherwise it’ll get infected.” Then, he was walking away, leaving Atsumu to stare after his back.</p><p>Atsumu couldn’t help the sigh that escaped his lips. He was doing a lot of that today, and staring after Sakusa made him look like a lovesick idiot.</p><p>Which he was, but that didn’t mean he had to make it look so obvious.</p><p>The nurse wrapped his ankle. It wasn’t bleeding anymore, and the scrapes weren’t deep, though blood had run down to wet the edge of his sock. Fortunately, that was the worst damage done to his uniform. There were a few pulled threads here and there and smudges of dirt, but he could make it through the rest of the day without looking as banged up as he felt.</p><p>His ankle still throbbed when he walked, but both legs did from the bruising on his shins. In fact, his entire body felt like a giant bruise, including the one on his mouth from Oikawa’s punch, but the nurse couldn’t do much for those. His mouth definitely felt swollen, and she gave him something for the split lip, but he supposed it served him right to be punched in the mouth. At least Oikawa had to walk around hurting, too. Though, the way Atsumu had struck his nose, the bruising on his face wouldn’t be bad. Too bad Atsumu hadn’t broken it.</p><p>When the nurse let him leave, he still had some time left in the lunch period, even if he didn’t have any more lunch to eat.</p><p>So, feeling worse than he had walking in, Atsumu left the nurse’s office with the intent to find Osamu, even knowing that Osamu would probably kick his ass harder than Oikawa—to be fair though, Atsumu totally would’ve won. Osamu had plenty to be angry about. Atsumu had literally jumped headfirst into a fight, ripped up his uniform—their mom wouldn’t be too happy about that—and then left Osamu on his own for the majority of lunch. Not that Atsumu had any other options. Plus, he’d basically dumped his lunch in the dirt.</p><p>But Osamu would get over it.</p><p>“There’s still some time left for lunch—”</p><p>Atsumu froze in the door, his head whipping around to look down the hall.</p><p>“—if you hurry.”</p><p>There was Sakusa, leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets. Atsumu’s heart jumped into his throat.</p><p>Sakusa shoved off and walked over. “Nothing broken?”</p><p>Atsumu smirked. “Nope. I toldja, that landing was pure grace.” He stubbornly didn’t think about his fall that morning. Instead, his smirk twisted at a better one. “Catlike reflexes, you could say.”</p><p>“Well, you did land on your feet,” Sakusa said in his usual offhanded way. “Sort of. I’m surprised your ankles didn’t snap.”</p><p>“Yeah, but didja see Oikawa’s face? He didn’t expect that.” Atsumu laughed. “Serves him right. Not that I care about him teasin’ me, but he’s really been getting’ on my nerves this term.”</p><p>“You make it too easy,” Sakusa remarked.</p><p>Atsumu looked over at him, ready to object.</p><p>Sakusa rolled his eyes. “It’s the whole not caring thing,” he added. “It’s easier to make fun of someone if they don’t fit in, and you know, having friends and caring at least a little what they think of you is kind of what people do.”</p><p>“Hmm, that’s why you don’t have any friends either, Omi-kun,” Atsumu hummed but then laughed again. He spotted a vein twitching on Sakusa’s forehead as his eyes narrowed.</p><p>“I’m sure that abrasive attitude of yours doesn’t help.” Then, he sighed after a moment. “You really want to know Oikawa’s problem with you, Miya? You intimidate him.”</p><p>“Who, me?” Atsumu pointed at himself. “Nah, Omi-Omi, Oikawa’s not intimidated by someone like me.”</p><p>Sakusa came to a stop in the hall. “Hm, right,” he said in a clipped tone. “Oikawa’s flanked by girls every day. There’s always someone confessing to him after school. If he’s not with Iwaizumi, then he’s surrounded by a flock of them. He likes the attention.”</p><p>“Pretty much,” Atsumu muttered in agreement.</p><p>“Then, who comes along at the start of last term and starts getting the same treatment? You and your brother. Geez, Miya, the three of you are all but short of your own fan clubs.” Sakusa scowled at him. “And, out of the two of you, who is easier to call out?”</p><p>Atsumu gritted his teeth, doing the one thing he’d trained himself not to after all these years—comparing himself to Osamu.</p><p>“Me,” he said. “Obviously.”</p><p>Sakusa stared back at him for a moment, waiting for something, before he started walking again. “Well, there you have it. You and Oikawa are too similar—”</p><p>“I am nothing like that bastard.”</p><p>“—at least on the surface, so it only makes sense putting the two of you in a room together is only asking for trouble.”</p><p>The two of them stepped outside back into the courtyard. Most of the students were finishing lunch and packing their things away. A couple of guys were playing with a soccer ball where they could find space. Atsumu spotted Osamu and Komori across the way. There were no traces of his spilt lunch under the tree.</p><p>“So, just ignore him, Miya,” Sakusa muttered. “It’s what you do best anyway, right? And don’t go getting into fights on my account.”</p><p>“Oh, so this <em>was</em> about that all along,” Atsumu teased.</p><p>“I am going to say thank you and give you some of my lunch in exchange for you never bringing it up again.”</p><p>Atsumu was caught with his mouth open, half tempted to ramble on about Sakusa actually thanking him and half tempted by the offered food. Not just any food but <em>Sakusa’s</em>. It wouldn’t be better than Osamu’s—nothing could compare to that—but <em>Sakusa’s food</em>.</p><p>“Ahh, why do I feel like shit, Omi-kun? Like I jumped off the building?” Atsumu said in a poor attempt at acting. Hand draped across his forehead, he leaned against Sakusa who quickly stepped away. “What’s this? Lunch is almost over? I can’t recall what happened.”</p><p>Sakusa rolled his eyes. “Don’t be an ass.”</p><p>But he didn’t walk away or brush Atsumu off beyond the physical contact. In fact, he sat on the edge of the group next to Atsumu and only offered his bento after Atsumu had sworn numerous times that his chopsticks hadn’t fallen into the dirt and were still clean.</p><p>And Sakusa’s food tasted amazing, even better than the meals he’d made for him as a cat. He could almost pretend that Sakusa had made the food just for him.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Mom’s gonna kill ya for tearin’ your uniform,” Osamu said on their way home. “And that’ll be after she’s done killin’ ya for gettin’ into a fight.”</p><p>Atsumu grunted in reply.</p><p>“See? It’s just what I said. Delinquent. No friends, gettin’ into fights?” Osamu shook his head. “Nobody’ll like ya now, least of all Mom and Dad.”</p><p>“Pssh,” Atsumu blew out. If he could convince their mom to sew his pants, they wouldn’t be a total loss. After all, how many people were scrutinizing the bottoms of his pants that closely? “None of that matters, ‘Samu. Wanna know why?”</p><p>“Yes, please enlighten me why gettin’ into a fight and havin’ your face punched in doesn’t matter. And while yer at it, you can thank me for endin’ it before it could get any worse.”</p><p>Atsumu laughed. He’d felt so tense spending time with Sakusa today—not knowing how he should react to everything he was saying when he didn’t have the anonymity of his cat mask to hide behind—that it felt good to smile at inconsequential things.</p><p>“Because Omi-kun asked me if I was alright,” Atsumu said grinning.</p><p>Osamu’s face dropped to impassiveness. “Oh yeah,” he grunted.</p><p>“It’s okay, ‘Samu. You can be happy for me, ya know.”</p><p>“I dunno about happy, but I am glad I’m not the one that has to worry about hidin’ any of that at dinner tonight,” he said with a smug expression, looking at Atsumu up and down.</p><p>Atsumu’s shoulders hunched defensively. “Yeah, well, I still win ‘cause Omi-kun waited for me outside the nurse’s office.”</p><p>“Sure. See if ya still feel that way at dinner.”</p><p>The good thing though that Osamu didn’t know about was that there was plenty to do before then. Atsumu wasn’t worried about dinner. He only concerned himself with sneaking inside the house with Osamu—though Osamu threatened more than once to step on the squeaky floorboards and give him away—but that was no different than any other day, Osamu’s teasing aside. Just like always, their parents were having a huffy conversation in the kitchen, and no matter the front Osamu put up, he would rather sneak away to their room along with Atsumu than to get caught up in a family conversation before dinner.</p><p>After that, there was only one thing on Atsumu’s mind.</p><p>He’d had a day full of Sakusa, which was something that had never happened before. He was optimistic and couldn’t wait to get his hands on the mask under his pillow. Two great interactions with Sakusa in one day? One of which being with real, human Atsumu?</p><p>Best day ever.</p><p>“Yer really sneakin’ out?” Osamu asked as he watched Atsumu use his desk chair to rummage under his pillow. “You really want them to find out you not only got in a fight, but you also snuck out before dinner? Even worse if ya miss it altogether.”</p><p>Atsumu was already at the door, mask tucked inside his jacket and under one arm. “Good thing that’s not gonna happen, brother o’ mine.” He winked. “But I sure am lucky I have such a wonderful brother who’ll cover for me if it ever does.” Winking, he was out the window, but not before he heard Osamu’s groan following him out.</p><p>On the roof, he was hidden enough to set the mask on his face before jumping down to the streets as a cat. His body still ached from making a similar jump in his human body and from the fight, but he was too busy marveling at how easy it was to make the jump now. He moved the way he wanted, with perfect balance. It was something he was quickly getting used to.</p><p>With a spring in his step, he trotted off toward Sakusa’s house.</p><p>He was just turning the corner onto the right street, when he nearly ran into another cat, that dark brown one from the other day. Jumping back, he hissed, fur standing on end and, <em>oh</em>, he hadn’t tried hissing before.</p><p>The other cat was unimpressed and sat down directly in his path, staring back at him with his squinty dark eyes.</p><p>Atsumu had run into this cat before but never so directly. He’d introduced himself as Suna the first time, then proceeded to tease Atsumu while he got himself lost the first time he’d searched for Sakusa’s house. Ever since then, Suna made it a habit to find some high wall to sit himself on and insult Atsumu whenever he passed by.</p><p>Atsumu was never quite sure what made him so fun for others to tease, but he’d always been grateful that Suna had kept his distance. He was likely a stray, and while Atsumu had just picked up hissing, he was pretty sure using his claws wouldn’t be as easy in a fight.</p><p>“Do ya mind?” Atsumu said. “Kinda busy here.”</p><p>“You still run like ya got two legs instead of four,” Suna said. He’d mirrored Atsumu’s accent since their first meeting, like Kita, and Atsumu didn’t know if that was further insult or not. “Yer gonna give cats a bad name if ya don’t shape up.”</p><p>Atsumu’s tail lashed out behind him. “Please, this is only temporary. Kita-sama told me himself.”</p><p>“Good.” Suna bunched up before making the impressive jump to the top of the fence next to them. “I’d hate t’see you spend yer nine lives as a clumsy cat.”</p><p>That piqued Atsumu’s interest. He turned to stare up at Suna. “Cats really have nine lives then?”</p><p>“Kita-sama’s cats do,” he said shortly and then jumped down on the other side of the fence and out of sight.</p><p>Atsumu scowled after him. While there was a great easiness that came with being a cat, there were still many things he had to understand about this world. He’d wondered since learning that Suna and Kita were related in some way if Suna had been a human turned cat like him. But a human that had chosen to discard his human mask, like what Kita had talked about the last time they’d met.</p><p>Atsumu doubted it. Suna seemed to care little for humans. In fact, the only thing he seemed interested in was poking fun at Atsumu whenever he came by.</p><p>However, if cats really did have nine lives, Suna could be so far removed from his human life that it wouldn’t make a difference.</p><p>Not that either Kita or Suna would tell him anything straightforward. Not that it mattered anyway. Atsumu was only using this form to get to Sakusa. Once things worked out in his favor, he’d give the mask back. As fun as it was to be a cat, if he couldn’t have the best of both worlds, well then, there was no use for the mask.</p><p>Even if Aki had all the better qualities Atsumu lacked. Even if everyone seemed to like Aki better.</p><p>Atsumu jumped to the fence, shaking off those thoughts quickly before he could start spiraling. If that happened, he’d never reach Sakusa’s house. From on the fence, he saw no sight of Suna, which was a good sign. He didn’t want to be followed to Sakusa’s house. From there it was an easy jump to the rooftops, his usual route.</p><p>He trotted along the gutters, looking down for any sight of Sakusa’s curls as he came the opposite way, heading to the studio. It was getting to be around that time. Maybe today, Atsumu would stick the landing on Sakusa’s shoulder. Then, Sakusa would have to be impressed and praise him.</p><p>He went all the way to Sakusa’s house without catching sight of him. Using the hedge between the neighboring house, Atsumu landed on the fence gating in Sakusa’ backyard. Some laundry was hanging out to dry and flapping in the wind. The clothes looked nearly dry, and with it getting close to dinner time, Atsumu wondered briefly why no one was coming to bring it inside. However, spotting the window to Sakusa’s room on the ground floor, Atsumu didn’t pay the laundry a second thought.</p><p>It was an easy jump up to the sill, and for his cat body, balancing on such a narrow ledge was easy. He peered through the window, but the room was dark. He noticed Sakusa’s schoolbag unopened next to the desk, which meant he’d come home from school, but there was no sign of him.</p><p>Atsumu circled around to the front of the house, but there were still no signs of life, not even from other members of the Sakusa family.</p><p>So, Atsumu headed back to the path behind the house. He wasn’t out of options yet.</p><p>The walk to the studio was short but felt longer without Sakusa’s presence. He never said much other than an observatory comment about Atsumu or clicking his tongue once to make sure Atsumu followed if he strayed too far behind, which Atsumu only did if Sakusa forgot how much longer his legs were and walked too fast.</p><p>The studio also seemed lifeless without Sakusa with him. There was no one to knock and apparently no one to open the door. Sitting before it, Atsumu glared up at the door, pawed at it a few times, and waited some more. Still, nobody came.</p><p>Blowing air through his nose, he gave up and circled around to the main workroom with the big windows. Anybody working inside would be clearly visible from there, but what he found was similar to the house. The room was dark and deserted. On the table in front of his window were Sakusa’s grandfather’s pottery set out to dry. A few were darker and clearly finished today while others were pale and nearly ready for the kiln. As usual, Atsumu didn’t pick out anything that could be Sakusa’s handiwork.</p><p>He sat there awhile, tail flicking back and forth as he decided what to do. It’d be boring to give up so soon and go home, where he’d stay in his room with Osamu until dinner. Plus, the only thing there worthwhile doing was homework, and the thought of that didn’t interest his cat brain in the slightest.</p><p>He didn’t know exactly how long he sat there, but he knew he had time. The sun was a bit further along in the sky when he typically headed home.</p><p>In one last ditch effort, he decided to check the house once more.</p><p>It was perfectly likely that Sakusa was out with his family, despite the fact that Sakusa was the type of person to limit going out as much as possible. But that meant he had to come home. Eventually. Atsumu just hoped it was soon.</p><p>The lights were still off in Sakusa’s room, but the door was open, light from the hall spilling in. Heart lifting, Atsumu ran around the side of the house a second time. There was another windowsill for him to jump up on and look in through the house.</p><p>There was a living room set by the front windows and farther in was the kitchen. A woman was standing by the sink, but Atsumu’s eyes slid from her and to Sakusa who was sitting at the table, facing the woman, likely his mom. They shared the same curly, black hair, the same dark eyes, and the same frown, which they were now aiming at each other.</p><p>“—just knew I should’ve convinced him to sell the space over the summer,” Sakusa’s mom was saying just as Atsumu got within distance to pick up the muffled talking with his sharp ears pointing forward. “I thought about it, but I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to upset you two, and now here we are. Nobody will want to buy an unheated space like that with fall on the way.”</p><p>“You say that like you knew this would happen,” Sakusa said. “And he was just in there yesterday, so it’s not like he doesn’t use it.”</p><p>“But he won’t be once he comes home.”</p><p>Sakusa sighed, brows narrowed. Atsumu was watching closely. “You’re just looking for something to be angry at because he’s sick and there’s nothing you can do.”</p><p>His mom turned to look at him directly. “Why are you being defensive?” Her tone was gentle, but it still made Atsumu flinch. Those were words that egged a person into a fight, and whether that was Osamu or his parents or even Oikawa, that was something Atsumu was familiar with. “It’s not as if you use the studio yourself, Kiyoomi.”</p><p>“Then why don’t you let him decide?”</p><p>“Your grandfather is in the hospital,” she says lowly. “I will not let him think he can push himself beyond his limits for some clay bowls and hurt himself even more.”</p><p>Sakusa stood up abruptly but didn’t say anything right away, only returned his mom’s stare. “It’s still his studio,” he finally said.</p><p>“Sometimes you have to make decisions for other people,” she said in a brisk tone, like she was ready for the conversation to end. “As a parent, I’m responsible for you, and I will make sure you are safe. As a daughter—but an adult—I will make sure my father understands his age and won’t put himself at risk anymore. Since he is the only one that uses the studio, it only makes sense that we sell it instead of using money to keep it running. There are other classes in town that kids can take. And it will stop you from encouraging your grandfather. Like I said, you don’t use it.” With that, she turned away, back to whatever she was cooking in the kitchen, and Sakusa sat back down.</p><p>Atsumu hesitated a moment more, but nobody chanced glancing his way. His fur felt all fluffed out and he felt the need to run, but he hopped down from the window and went home at his usual pace.</p><p>That was something neither Atsumu nor Aki could help with. That, and it was getting close to dinner time. Atsumu regretted not getting a chance to see Sakusa up close, a chance to make him smile. As Aki, the success rate of raising Sakusa’s spirits was much higher that way.</p><p>But family issues? That was something Atsumu was particularly bad at. He didn’t even know what to say when somebody’s family member was in the hospital. He felt completely useless.</p><p>Back home, the bedroom windows were dark, and Atsumu’s heart sank as he lowered himself down from the roof. It was the same time he always arrived home. Did his parents make a spur of the moment decision to eat earlier? Maybe they ordered takeout and the two of them were boiling mad as they ate with Osamu on the opposite couch, no good excuses offered as to where Atsumu might be.</p><p>Atsumu hurried inside, stuffed the mask under his pillow, and rushed downstairs. The kitchen lights were on and he could hear something sizzling on the stove. He was panting by the time he burst into the room.</p><p>Osamu looked up from the stove with a bored expression. His sleeves were rolled back as he cooked. Their parents were nowhere in sight and Atsumu smelled stir fry. Catching sight of Atsumu’s alarmed expression, Osamu snickered.</p><p>“Mom and Dad woulda been so pissed,” he said and turned back to the stove. He pointed to the cutting board laid out with vegetables set aside. “Those need cut, as long as ya don’t make me regret puttin’ you in charge of the knife.”</p><p>Atsumu let his worry wash away along with the rest of his tangled up emotions and crossed the room. “Please, when have I ever cut myself?” He picked up a red pepper and got to work. Of course, Osamu was much faster at this than he was, but if he pushed himself to get too competitive over something silly like this, then he really would slice a finger.</p><p>“So,” Osamu started, grabbing the cutting board out from under Atsumu to slide the vegetables into his frying pan, “you’re being awfully quiet.”</p><p>It was only after the board had been replaced before him that Atsumu realized he had no more vegetables left to cut, and he hadn’t said a word since starting.</p><p>He groaned to the ceiling, and then jumped out of the way when Osamu aimed to hit him with the wooden spoon, which was still hot with oil.</p><p>“Every inch of me hurts so much,” he complained and went to sit at the table out of Osamu’s way. He had more than just his body’s aches to complain about—not meeting up with Sakusa, plus all of Sakusa’s family troubles—but he couldn’t divulge any of that to Osamu.</p><p>Instead, Osamu just turned his back. “But Sakusa actually talked to ya, so shouldn’t you be over the moon or something?” he said. “I mean, it was outa his own free will, so that’s something.”</p><p>“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?”</p><p>Osamu shrugged. “Nothing. I’m sure Komori didn’t put him up to it just to get you to shut up.”</p><p>Atsumu bristled at the sarcasm.</p><p>“Anyway, I thought about it, and this is me givin’ you a free pass to be happy or whatever.” Osamu slid the stir fry onto a plate to bring over to the table. “Even if yer as annoyin’ as hell when you get yer way,” he muttered under his breath.</p><p>Atsumu burried his face in his arms crossed on the table. “All I wanna do is pass out and go to sleep.” He poked his head up just so one eye was visible. “But what if Sakusa goes back to ignorin’ me tomorrow?”</p><p>“Yer a baby.”</p><p>Atsumu tried kicking him under the table, but Osamu moved his feet out of the way.</p><p>“Ya jumped into a tree from the second floor. I hope ya hurt for a long while. Maybe then you won’t do it again.”</p><p>“It was still worth it,” Atsumu muttered into his arm.</p><p>“Then quit complainin’ or else I’ll tell Sakusa myself how much of a baby you are.”</p><p>Osamu was done filling his plate, so Atsumu sat up to do his next. Beyond their back and forth, it was a peaceful meal they didn’t normally have. Maybe not peaceful by anyone else’s standards, but it almost seemed quiet to them.</p><p>“So, where’s Mom and Dad anyway?” Atsumu asked once his mouth was sufficiently filled. “And what can I do to make it happen more often?”</p><p>“If ya drop yer lunch again, that’s one way of never gettin’ me to cook for ya again,” Osamu said, and Atsumu was about to butt in to point out the fact that it had scored him a chance to share Sakusa’s lunch, but Osamu continued. “Dad had a work dinner. Mom said something about takin’ advantage of not havin’ ta cook and went with him.”</p><p>“Bet the pair of them make pleasant guests.”</p><p>Osamu rolled his eyes, but it was in agreement. “They’re not s’posed to be home till late.”</p><p>“Sweet,” Atsumu said, and he filled his mouth again. To be fair, Osamu was doing the same across from him.</p><p>“And I’m countin’ on you to clean up,” Osamu added after a pause.</p><p>Atsumu groaned, but he was too tired to argue.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It was impossible for anything to distract him from thoughts of Sakusa the rest of the night, and Atsumu had even been desperate enough to attempt his homework. He was too busy thinking about how he should be happy at the day’s turn of events. At the very least, his little fistfight would keep Oikawa out of his hair for the rest of the week if he was lucky. Sure, he was all banged up and bruised, and he’d wake up all stiff tomorrow, but Sakusa had proved he cared enough to walk him all the way to the nurse’s office when he could’ve used his valuable lunch hour to do anything else.</p><p>And Atsumu was fairly confident Sakusa wouldn’t do that for just anyone, whether or not he’d been part of the discussion that had led to the fight. Atsumu still didn’t know just how much Sakusa had overheard.</p><p>Atsumu should have wrapped up a perfect day with a visit to Sakusa’s house as Aki—Atsumu was sure he’d have a more direct emotion to cling to the rest of the night—but things hadn’t worked out that way, had they? It left a sour note hanging in the air.</p><p>Now, Atsumu couldn’t finish his English homework because he was too busy thinking about Sakusa’s grandpa in the hospital.</p><p>He knew the man meant a great deal to Sakusa, otherwise he wouldn’t spend his afternoons after school there every day. Even on weekends.</p><p>Atsumu had no living grandparents to even try guessing at how Sakusa must feel. All he did know was that he’d run into his first wall, the first thing the mask couldn’t help him with.</p><p>The mask could let him run away from his parents, this new house, even Osamu. It had helped him get to know Sakusa and it allowed him to leave everything behind for a few hours. He didn’t have any real worries as a cat, and he didn’t have to be Miya Atsumu, the friendless new kid—who should maybe not still feel like the new kid anymore. And everyone liked stray cats. In fact, there were so many up by the shrine that it drew people there all the time. After all, it wasn’t like the old shrine had any draw of its own when there wasn’t a festival.</p><p>Maybe it was because it was so devoid of visitors that Sakusa had gone there that night, when he’d first met Atsumu the cat, and Atsumu had figured out the mask’s purpose.</p><p>But, for the first time, the mask couldn’t help him out here. He was powerless either way. Aki was just a cat, and while a cat was good for many things, solving human problems was not one of them. And Atsumu the human couldn’t so easily walk up to Sakusa as any kind of comfort. All he was good for was starting fights and driving people away.</p><p>At some point, he dozed off, still in his clothes. Osamu had probably tried to wake him, but he obviously hadn’t tried very hard. The next time Atsumu opened his eyes, the room was dark. Osamu’s desk light was out, and when Atsumu poked his head under to the lower bunk, he found him asleep.</p><p>It wasn’t quite midnight, and Atsumu didn’t think he could fall back asleep any time soon. His body still ached, but the pain felt further away. While he was sure it would reappear in the morning, he felt too restless to try closing his eyes again, and his body felt like moving.</p><p>So, he didn’t need to think too hard on it. He pulled the mask out from under his mattress and softly lowered himself to the ground and opened the door. Even if he woke Osamu, he’d be gone long before it mattered.</p><p>Their street looked so different at night than it did in the day. It looked different than even glancing out the window at the street lamps. Atsumu had only seen the world at night through his magical cat eyes once during the festival at the unlit shrine with the fireworks going off overhead. With it still being summer, the sun set later in the evening, so even when he ran home from visiting Sakusa, the sky wasn’t truly as black was it was now.</p><p>But there were so many details to be noticed that he could never pick up during the day. That, and it was quiet. So silent, that it seemed to wrap around him, but only when he paid attention to it, did he realize all of the quiet sounds he could tune into. A stray wrapper blowing down the street in the slight breeze. A fly above him, bumping into the streetlamp. His paws on the asphalt, softly padding along.</p><p>He could see and hear so many new things, and immediately they categorized themselves into compartments in his head.</p><p>But he didn’t take too long to wonder at it all. He didn’t plan to be out long, just long enough to check one more time before calling it a day.</p><p>All of the lights in Sakusa’s house were out. Everyone was likely asleep at this hour, but there was one light on in the studio. Atsumu peered in through one of the windows again and the room was thrown into a grayish glow. Almost black and white with the slightest bit of color bleeding in. Through the window, Atsumu could hear the pottery wheel buzzing.</p><p>Atsumu blinked, frozen for a moment. There was Sakusa at the wheel, hands stained with clay up to his wrist. Even his yellow t-shirt, which was pale in the low light, had flecks of clay splashed here and there.</p><p>Only once had Atsumu seen Sakusa working with clay and it hadn’t even been at the wheel. It was near the end of one evening after the first day back to school. Atsumu had gotten a good earful from Sakusa that morning, the first time Atsumu had stepped right up to him in the morning and patted him on the shoulder.</p><p>It had been before Atsumu had met Sakusa’s grandpa. He had been ill that day, Atsumu figured, but Sakusa had come anyway to do his homework. Atsumu didn’t realize until later how much quieter it must’ve been without the wheel going or without Sakusa’s grandpa working on one of his other art projects in the background while Sakusa worked.</p><p>Sakusa had just packed up and was looking over the projects his grandfather had drying out by the window. Atsumu had looked them over, too, but he wasn’t too interested in the bowls and vases that ranged from deep, wet-looking grays and browns, to paler, dryer versions. However, one mug’s handle had broken off. Just shattered one way or another, the pieces littered the table, too small to bother gluing back together.</p><p>Atsumu had been late going home that day, but he never regretted it. He had been mesmerized watching Sakusa’s methodical approach to fixing the mug and its handle. He didn’t get more than the tips of two fingers on each hand and the flat of his palms dirty with wet clay. Atsumu stayed close by, watching how Sakusa pulled a damp cloth rolled around a lump of clay from one of the cupboards. He cut a thin strip with a wire before careful storing it again. He filled a bowl of water and brought his tools over to the table. While wetting the clay, he folded it over and over, pressing the heel of his hand into it and flattening it.</p><p>By the time the sun was sinking, the mug had a new handle. Atsumu had no idea how identical it looked to the original. He hadn’t even known it wasn’t Sakusa’s project until the next day.</p><p>And then, Sakusa never touched the clay again, and Atsumu understood that that one day had all been a fluke. He’d been lucky to see it at all.</p><p>That was why seeing Sakusa working at the wheel as midnight approached seemed something of a miracle.</p><p>After a moment taken to appreciate the view, Atsumu meowed as loudly as he could and batted at the window with his paw. Sakusa stopped the wheel and looked up. It looked like the day wasn’t going to be such a bust after all.</p><p>After spending forever washing his hands, Sakusa finally came over to let him in through the window. Sakusa was distracted for a moment more, intently eyeing his nails as he scrubbed a brush under them. Atsumu couldn’t imagine how much clay could get under your fingernails, and it was even further beyond him to guess at how Sakusa felt with each little fleck caught under his nails. Sakusa’s germaphobia in general was beyond Atsumu’s understanding.</p><p>“You’re out late,” Sakusa said, finally cleaning the brush off in the sink and putting it away. He crossed back over the room and stared down at his bowl still on the wheel, his arms crossed. “What do you think, Aki? Are the edges even? Is it lopsided?” He crouched down to get a level look at it, his eyes squinting. His face pinching like it did every morning Atsumu slapped him on the back or patted his shoulder as he wished him a good morning.</p><p>Atsumu propped his front paws against Sakusa’s thigh, studying that expression. Maybe it wasn’t so much a look of disapproval, as Atsumu had always took it. Maybe it was a look of consideration. That’s what it seemed now as he looked for any flaw in his work.</p><p>Eventually, he sighed through his nose, reached down to grab Atsumu, and stood up. The window was still open, and Sakusa balanced on the edge of it, his long legs stretched out in front of him as he half turned to look out at the night. He kept Atsumu cradled in his lap.</p><p>Now, Atsumu was starting to feel sleepy. He could sleep just like this until morning. Thought it’d be impossible to run back home to get ready in time for school. Maybe he could take a day off, just so he could enjoy this.</p><p>“What’s this?”</p><p>Atsumu was brought out of his happy daze as Sakusa maneuvered him and stretched his hind leg out. He let out an involuntary yelp. It was mostly at the surprise of being moved so suddenly but also because it hurt. It was the leg that had gotten scraped up from his fall through the tree that afternoon. Apparently, the mask couldn’t just magic away injuries. Sakusa was more careful after that.</p><p>“You didn’t get into a fight, did you?” Sakusa asked, looking at the wound closely, spreading the fur out of the way.</p><p>Atsumu hoped he didn’t stick to that assumption. On one hand, he was correct, but on the other, Sakusa might stop petting him and letting him hang around if he thought Aki the stray cat got into fights with other stray cats. That meant Atsumu wasn’t as clean as he apparently smelled or that Aki didn’t have a supposed owner after all.</p><p>“Does it hurt?” Sakusa carefully put some pressure around it, but it didn’t hurt all that bad now that Atsumu was ready for it. “It’s not bleeding, and it looks like it’s closed up, so it shouldn’t get infected. If you start limping though, don’t coming crying to me. You shouldn’t pick fights with other cats.”</p><p>There was a beat of silence. Sakusa readjusted his hold on Atsumu so his leg was no longer spread out.</p><p>“Sorry,” he said flatly. “You probably just cut it on something. Cats usually lose an ear or get their faces clawed up in fights, right?”</p><p>Atsumu stared up at him.</p><p>“It just reminds me of an idiot who did get into a fight today. You probably just cut it on some fencing, huh,” Sakusa said.</p><p>Atsumu meowed.</p><p>“That guy gets himself into all kinds of trouble.”</p><p>Well, Atsumu didn’t know about that. He had a limit, and if that didn’t kick in, then at least he had Osamu.</p><p>“But he does say what he means. He has no problem making himself heard, the loudmouth.” Sakusa sighed and then picked Atsumu up so they were staring at each other. “It’s not like I’m jealous of him, got it?” He lowered Atsumu a bit and looked out over his head at the yard. “I wish I could do whatever I wanted and not worry about the consequences.”</p><p>Atsumu’s whiskers trembled and just barely brushed against Sakusa’s chin.</p><p>“And not like the trouble he causes,” Sakusa went on. “I want to make a bowl on the wheel without worrying whether or not I’ll freeze up. Or if I can wash my hands less than twenty times and have them still feel clean enough.”</p><p>If he were able to, Atsumu would frown. Sakusa was about as blunt as Atsumu could be at school, just with less words. Atsumu had always known Sakusa had this germaphobe thing going on, had known it was the real deal, and not just like the girls who obsess over sharing scented hand sanitizer between classes.</p><p>But it was Atsumu who couldn’t say what he really wanted. After all, look at all the hoops he’d jumped through just so he’d have enough safety nets below him for when he finally confessed his feelings to Sakusa—if he ever did.</p><p>Atsumu just said whatever would get him what he wanted the easiest. If a girl cornered him after school, he knew how to make sure she knew at once that he was nothing like Oikawa. If he wanted to pick a fight, he could. If he wanted to bug Osamu, well, he was an old hat at that. If he wanted Sakusa’s attention, he could get it, even if it wasn’t always the good kind.</p><p>What it all came down to was opening his mouth and letting the words fall out unfiltered. That was how he liked it. He wanted to get under people’s skin because he knew if he could so easily shake them, then there was no point for anything else.</p><p>Because he was a perfectionist with high standards. If things couldn’t be done right and on the first time, then there was no reason to waste the time on them. That included friends. That included school. That included his parents. Sometimes, it included Osamu, too. But only sometimes.</p><p>“That’s why I can’t just say I want Grandfather’s studio. Mom would never believe I could do it,” Sakusa said after a while. “I don’t think I believe I could either. Not right now. But once it’s gone, it’s gone for good.”</p><p>Atsumu hadn’t spent too much time with Sakusa that wasn’t in or around the studio. Picturing spending those afternoons with him anywhere else seemed out of place, though he didn’t share Sakusa’s attachment to the building. At least for Sakusa’s sake, Atsumu hoped he’d keep it, though imagining Sakusa as a teacher in one of his grandpa’s lessons was amusing.</p><p>Sakusa settled Atsumu back in his arms. “I want to say what I want, and I want to trust myself to be able to follow through. I bet that’d be no problem for that idiot, right, Aki? He wouldn’t care about what anyone might think, even if he didn’t succeed right away.”</p><p><em>No way, no way</em>, Atsumu wanted to say. He was a perfectionist to a fault, and he totally cared about what people thought. Granted, that was usually after he’d screwed up.</p><p>“Not that you care much about human problems,” Sakusa said, and he leaned over to set Atsumu back on the ground before standing. “You probably just saw the light on and stopped by for a snack. Too bad for you, we can’t all run on cat time. It’s late.”</p><p>Sakusa crossed the room back over to his bowl and stared down at it again.</p><p>“I think it’s good enough to set out,” he said. “Anything can be sanded down later.”</p><p>Atsumu sat off to the side while Sakusa grabbed the wire. Each end was wrapped around two fingers and he braced his thumbs against it before he dragged it slowly under the base of the bowl. Nothing of significance happened that Atsumu could see. Then, Sakusa popped the spinning disc off the wheel and set it alongside his grandpa’s projects.</p><p>Yawning, Atsumu watched as Sakusa cleaned up the studio, cleaning the wheel and washing tools in the sink. He spent a few more minutes just going over his hands. Finally, he led the way out, locking up after they were both outside.</p><p>“I’m sure it’s just the start of the night for you, but I’m not nocturnal. Good night, Aki,” Sakusa said, and for the first time that night, he sounded tired.</p><p>Atsumu trailed behind him for part of the way back until he had to split off toward his own house. He kept a careful eye out for Suna as he went. The last thing he needed was a scare at this hour.</p><p>Nevertheless, he got a scare anyway, though fortunately for him, it wasn’t from Suna. From out of the shadows of buildings he passed, Kita suddenly appeared walking by his side.</p><p>“Humans cause so much of their own misery, huh?” he said. “Mostly it just comes from thinkin’ too much about things they don’t need to. Even you.”</p><p>Atsumu paused to look at him, and Kita stopped as well. Being a bigger cat, he almost seemed to loom over Atsumu.</p><p>“I know you can feel all yer human worries washin’ away when you wear that mask. It’s pretty nice bein’ a cat,” Kita continued.</p><p>Atsumu shrugged and kept walking. “I won’t lie, it has it’s perks,” he said. “But you can do more as a person.”</p><p>“That’s ‘cause you have responsibilities, and if you don’t have those, then yer nothin’ more than a flea, right?”</p><p>“People need to do nothin’ sometimes.”</p><p>“But do you really feel like you can do more for Sakusa as Atsumu or as Aki?” Kita pressed.</p><p>Atsumu’s pace broke slightly at the question, but he regained it. “So what?” he countered. “While I have the options, I’m gonna try my best as both Aki and Atsumu anyway.”</p><p>“Try yer best.” Now Kita stopped, shifting into his human form, and now he really was looming over Atsumu, though his face remained pleasant. “You started this mask business to get Sakusa Kiyoomi to fall in love with you—purely selfish reasons—and now you expect me to believe yer gonna do everything in yer power to fix his life’s problems?”</p><p>“Well, I can’t do <em>that</em>.”</p><p>“Cats don’t have such miserable lives wonderin’ one way or the other, or decidin’ morals, or worryin’ about anyone else’s happiness but their own,” Kita said. He crouched down and scratched Atsumu behind the ear, which Atsumu stiffly allowed. “Wouldn’t you say?”</p><p>“Sure, I guess.” Atsumu pulled his head away. Kita let him.</p><p>“As a cat, you can stay by yer human as long as you like and they’ll take care of you,” Kita said.</p><p>A life spent by Sakusa’s side, even as a cat, even with a shorter life, didn’t sound terrible. Sakusa always took care of him when he was around. It was a lot nicer than worrying about anything else, too.</p><p>“Yeah, that’s true,” Atsumu grumbled before walking on, his back to Kita. Then, he had a thought and he stopped again. “But I wanna see Omi-kun smile again. I wanna see him smile at <em>me</em>, not just Aki. I wanna know that <em>I’m</em> the one who can do that. That I can make him smile, no matter what worries he’s got.”</p><p>There was no reply. Atsumu looked back, but Kita was gone. His eyes narrowed at the spot he’d been.</p><p>“Don’t come to lecture me but disappear the second I have something good t’say.”</p><p>Tail lashing out behind him, Atsumu continued home. It was late, and the morning wouldn’t wait for him to catch up.</p><p>At least one thing was for certain. Atsumu was going to make Sakusa smile for real. Not Aki. Atsumu. Because he’d just decided. He'd successfully gotten Sakusa to talk to him. Smiling would be the next step on his list for winning Sakusa’s heart. Smiles were important, rare smiles like Sakusa’s even more so.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you all for the sweet kudos and comments! I'm really enjoying working with this story.</p><p>Have a lovely week!</p><p> </p><p>  <a href="http://silentmarco.tumblr.com">My Tumblr</a><br/></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. A Letter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Atsumu didn’t realize until the mask was off and he was lowering himself down from the roof, that a big grin was stretched across his face, and he didn’t know how long he’d been looking like an idiot. Things at Sakusa’s had been serious, the mood heavy. Kita’s appearance on Atsumu’s way home wasn’t any better, but now that he was alone, Atsumu’s chest felt like it was full of helium, expanding outward and slowly lifting him upward.</p><p>Sakusa had talked to him today. Not just talked to him like any other day, practically telling him to get lost. No, he’d had a real conversation with him. Two meaningful conversations between Atsumu and Aki, so much so that it made Atsumu’s head spin.</p><p>This was the real deal. This was real forward momentum.</p><p>He didn’t catch the desk light’s dim glow until he already had the door open and was stepping inside. Atsumu froze, one foot in, one out.</p><p>“Hey, ‘Samu,” he said. “Yer up late.”</p><p>Osamu was already looking up at him with droopy eyes. Nothing was out on his desk. He was just sitting there.</p><p>“I could say the same for you,” he said, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his hands over his face. Atsumu took the opportunity to shut the door behind him. Luckily, he’d stowed the mask in the waistband of his pants and out of sight.</p><p>“What’re you all worried for?” Atsumu smirked. There was no way his brother was going to drag down his mood. “I just went out for a walk. Couldn’t sleep.”</p><p>Osamu squinted at him. “I heardja leave,” he said. “But you’ve been so weird since school started—”</p><p>“Aw, see, I knew ya cared, ‘Samu.”</p><p>Osamu’s look turned into a glare and he stood up. “It’s not like you tell me anything anymore. I was just makin’ sure you weren’t boltin’ outa here.”</p><p>“Gimme a break—”</p><p>“’Tsumu,” Osamu warned.</p><p>“—if I was gonna run away, you’d be the first to know.” Atsumu turned away to climb up into his bed. “Like I said, it was just a walk.”</p><p>He hid his mask and he rummaged around where he had all sorts of stuff hidden wedged between his mattress and wall. A small flashlight, a pen, and some paper. He flicked the flashlight one just as Osamu sighed and turned off the desk light.</p><p>“You don’t mind, do ya?” Atsumu asked with no intention of stopping even if Osamu did.</p><p>Below, Osamu huffed as he got comfortable. “Go back outside to write yer stupid love letter.”</p><p>“It’s not like I’ll give it to him,” Atsumu said. He curled up against the corner of the walls, bracing the notepad against his knees and tapping his pen against it.</p><p>“Gross, yer actually writing him something. I’m gonna be sick.”</p><p>Atsumu was too distracted by the feelings that had trapped themselves within him after everything that had happened, everything Sakusa had said, and trying to change them into words. They had to be the right words and they had to be written down like this.</p><p>This was his one shot to reach Sakusa. If Atsumu didn’t capture how he felt right now, he might not have another chance where his feelings felt so concrete.</p><p>He didn’t have any fancy stationary like the girls at school did when they delivered their confessions at lunch or after class behind the school building. He didn’t have the fancy handwriting. He could barely write and hold the flashlight in his teeth at the same time.</p><p>But he had to do it this way. He had to write it down. Otherwise, who knew what his traitorous mouth might say when it came down to it. He would have to check and double check, write and rewrite, so the words were exactly what he wanted to say, were exactly how he felt. He might get distracted if he had to wing it. Because who could look at Sakusa’s face without losing all sense of language and then lose confidence at that unchanging expression? It was certainly impossible.</p><p>So, he wrote his letter. Then he wrote another. The third letter was the one he folded up and slipped into his schoolbag. By that time, Osamu had quit his teasing and was fast asleep. Tomorrow—by that point it was already the next day—but it would certainly be a long day, but Atsumu would do it. He could sleep when this was all over.</p>
<hr/><p>But on Tuesday, Sakusa wasn’t in school. He wasn’t in the courtyard. He wasn’t in his seat in homeroom. Atsumu questioned Komori until the teacher yelled at him to get to his seat, but even Komori could only shrug, just as clueless as Atsumu.</p><p>“Maybe he’s sick,” was the best Komori could give him, but Atsumu found that hard to believe.</p><p>Sakusa hadn’t once missed a day of school since Atsumu had moved here.</p><p>At first, he thought Sakusa would show up late. He had been out late the night before in the studio, and no matter how serious Sakusa was about school, Atsumu just couldn’t see him falling asleep on his desk like Atsumu was doing that morning. To be fair, it had taken him nearly two hours to get that letter done and he’d never really fallen back asleep. The note sat in his back pocket through all of his classes, taunting him.</p><p>And Sakusa never showed.</p><p>“Better not’ve gotten sick,” Atsumu muttered on the way home.</p><p>Osamu wasn’t in a pitying mood. “Just go to his house and see why don’tcha. Yer worryin’s gonna drive me up a wall.”</p><p>Still, Atsumu turned his best pitiful look to him, only to get Osamu’s schoolbag in the face. “Ouch! Dammit. I don’t even have a reason.” He rubbed at his lip, still healing from yesterday’s fight, checking to make sure it hadn’t split open again. “The teacher gave everything to Komori to give him.”</p><p>“How ‘bout ya do it just ‘cause yer his friend.”</p><p>“Psh.”</p><p>“You ate lunch with him yesterday.”</p><p>Atsumu opened his mouth but hesitated.</p><p>“You wrote that dumb note to him.”</p><p>“I dunno,” he finally ended up saying, and Osamu rolled his eyes and went on ahead, tired of matching Atsumu’s slow pace.</p><p>Were friends so easily made? Atsumu wasn’t so sure. The only times he’d been over to Sakusa’s house was when he was Aki. By now it almost didn’t feel like he was allowed to be there just as Atsumu.</p><p>“Nah,” he said loudly, catching up to Osamu. “It’s like ya said. Give him some space, and he’ll come crawlin’ back.” He grinned. “Or something.”</p><p>“Or just realize how peaceful his life is without ya.”</p><p>Atsumu shoved him and decided not to think about that.</p><p>When he ran by Sakusa’s house later as Aki, nobody was around. The studio was empty, but he found Sakusa’s bowl drying in the sunlight. He waited around, but nobody ever showed.</p><p>Sakusa wasn’t in school again on Wednesday, but this time, neither was Komori.</p><p>Atsumu and Osamu shared a look in homeroom, but Osamu thankfully left the topic alone. The letter was still in Atsumu’s back pocket, and it burned every time he thought about it, his stomach cramping into knots at the thought of actually giving it to Sakusa. And Sakusa not being in school just kept putting it off.</p><p>He was starting to feel like maybe he should be the one skipping school.</p><p>The rest of the week was the same. No Sakusa no matter where Atsumu looked. School was boring, just skipping through days until he could see him again, try to talk with him, pick up where they left off at lunch on Monday. Anything. By Friday, Atsumu would have even taken a cold brush off just to see Sakusa’s face scowling at him.</p><p>He was worried. Osamu continued to leave him alone beyond a few snide remarks. But more than anything, Atsumu just wanted to get this note out of his back pocket and away from him as quickly as possible.</p><p>And the only way to do that was to get it into Sakusa’s hands.</p><p>At the end of the day on Friday, Atsumu opened his locker and sighed. Three envelopes had been slipped inside. They were too cutesy, with flowers or bunnies or hearts or stickers. One had a lipstick kiss pressed over the flap and he scowled down at it.</p><p>"Think they're from the same girls?" Osamu asked beside him. He had three similar-looking envelopes in his hands, though they weren't identical. He started opening one.</p><p>"That would be even worse," Atsumu said and started tearing the first one up.</p><p>He continued onto the second one while Osamu opened each of his, quickly skimming through them before moving onto the next.</p><p>Atsumu wanted to kick him. It wasn't like Osamu cared any more than he did. He just looked like he did, and Atsumu hated that. There was no point wasting the extra energy.</p><p>Once they were outside, Osamu turned instead of carrying on toward home. Atsumu stopped and stared after him.</p><p>"What," he said.</p><p>"What," Osamu said, stopping to look at him.</p><p>Atsumu point toward the gate. "Home's this way." He smirked. "Or didja forget?"</p><p>Osamu held up his three letters. "I'm going to return these," he said and then returned Atsumu's smirk. "Because I'm a decent human being and it's common courtesy."</p><p>"Common courtesy," Atsumu muttered and turned away. "Whatever. I'm goin' home."</p><p>"Don't ya want an answer to yours?" Osamu called after him.</p><p>Atsumu growled and turned back around. "My. What," he said through his teeth.</p><p>"Wouldn't you be pissed if Sakusa didn't respond to yer letter?" Osamu asked, and Atsumu could tell he was fighting off a shit-eating grin, and Atsumu wanted to punch him for it. "If he just tore it up and threw it away?"</p><p>"Like I'd care." Atsumu shoved his hands in his pockets and started off again. "It'd be the same as a no, so it'd feel the same as a no." And he went home alone.</p><p>When the weekend came, Atsumu wouldn't allow himself to leave the house. There was no way he could take any more disappointment. His heart wouldn't be able to take it.</p><p>And if Sakusa was there? Well, Atsumu had already decided that he couldn't see him just as Aki after all this waiting. He'd be too antsy, trapped in the studio while Sakusa refused to touch any clay. He'd be too busy thinking about the letter left behind, ready to be stowed in his pants' pocket for Monday. Or he’d do something stupid like try to bring the note to Sakusa as Aki, and then that really would ruin everything.</p>
<hr/><p>Atsumu finally caught a glimpse of the back of Sakusa's head Monday morning as he stepped onto campus. His heart leapt into his throat and he knew Osamu was throwing him sideways looks that only turned more pointed when Atsumu didn't chase after him right away.</p><p>"Who're you and what've you done with 'Tsumu?" he said, and Atsumu forced himself to shrug the comment off.</p><p>"What, upset that I wanna walk in with ya?" he said. "D'ya not love me anymore?"</p><p>Osamu scowled. "Sakusa's right there. Go bother him with your nonsense."</p><p>Atsumu slipped a hand in his back pocket, just making sure the note was still there. "I will," he said. "In a minute."</p><p>Osamu followed the movement with his eyes and blinked at him. "Today's the day then."</p><p>"Yup." Atsumu withdrew his hand and continued keeping pace with Osamu instead of running ahead like his feet wanted him to do.</p><p>"Don't cry when he tells ya no."</p><p>"Yer a jerk."</p><p>The walk up to the school building took forever when he wasn't bounding ahead to catch up to Sakusa. He'd found that out all of last week, but now it seemed to take even longer when Sakusa was literally right in front of him, stepping inside while Atsumu was so far behind.</p><p>Then, Osamu stopped, and Atsumu wanted to rip his hair out.</p><p>"Wait. Yer not givin' it to him in homeroom, are ya?"</p><p>Atsumu stared back at him, because no way was he waiting until the end of the day to do it. Not like those girls. And he wasn't shoving it into Sakusa's locker like a coward. He was already a coward writing a note, but he couldn’t help that now. His heart was beating too quickly, so who knew what kind of shit would come out of his mouth if he let it run.</p><p>Besides, he didn't know which locker was Sakusa's anyway.</p><p>Pinching the bridge of his nose, Osamua continued walking again. "Yer just packed full of bad idea, ain'tcha."</p><p>Atsumu was well aware what a bad idea it was, but if he had to wait a moment longer with that note in his pocket, he'd go nuts. Even if Sakusa didn't read it right away, even if it took him days, weeks, even if he never said anything about it again, Atsumu didn't care. He just needed these feelings off his chest. The sooner the better.</p><p>"When he says no," Osamu continued, "yer gonna have to sit in the same room with him all day." He huffed a sigh. "Which means we'll be eating alone at lunch again."</p><p>"Hey, don't let me stop ya. You can eat with whoever ya want, 'Samu," Atsumu said. "I don't need anyone babysittin' me, least of all you."</p><p>"'Course ya don't."</p><p>Atsumu didn’t rush changing shoes and grunted along when Osamu changed the subject to homework and the test they were having in math. All Atsumu needed was enough time in homeroom to slip Sakusa the note. There wouldn’t be enough time for him to read it right away, and then Atsumu could slip into his seat and be done with it. He’d be filled with anxiety again but a different kind, and he’d have no responsibility to deal with it. It would be out of his hands. There would be no decision left for him to make.</p><p>Atsumu paused in the doorway, Osamu continuing past him to get to his seat with a disapproving shake of his head.</p><p>He totally thought he was about to watch a train wreck, Atsumu knew it, but Osamu didn’t know that was the whole point of writing a letter. Slipping in and out without making a whole scene of it, for once.</p><p>Taking a deep breath through his nose, Atsumu stepped into the classroom. There was no sign of the teacher. He still had enough time.</p><p>He zigzagged between the desks, passed Komori first, and then stood directly in front of Sakusa. The note was clutched between both hands in front of him. It took Atsumu clearing his throat for Sakusa to finally squint up at him.</p><p>His face was the same as always, Atsumu figured. Way too handsome for his own good—for anyone’s own good really—but still giving nothing away. Atsumu just had to go for it.</p><p>He held the letter out to Sakusa, pinching it by the very edge of a corner. Because Atsumu wasn’t stupid. Not that stupid. He had spent these weeks trying to break down Sakusa’s outermost bubble, even going so far as to offer the briefest amount of contact. But it was never without a barrier between them.</p><p>In this instance, Atsumu wanted to be a romantic for once in his life. He wanted the chance of their fingers brushing, eyes cast downward as faces flushed. He wanted it. He wanted it so bad.</p><p>But he knew there was one wall he couldn’t breach. This required the same precision as the words chosen in the note.</p><p>Atsumu was more than a loud mouth and bad attitude, when he wanted to be.</p><p>He knew that, Osamu knew that. Atsumu only hoped that Sakusa knew that by now, too.</p><p>“Here,” he said, voice clipped. He pressed his lips together, afraid of what else might come out if he wasn’t careful. He already had most eyes of the class on him like he did every morning.</p><p>Sakusa stared at the note a second. Atsumu bit his tongue. This was humiliating. Why did girls do this all the time, especially when they knew they’d be shot down or stood up.</p><p>Then, Sakusa reached out just as another hand intercepted and plucked the note from Atsumu’s fragile grip.</p><p>“<em>Hey</em>!” Atsumu spun around.</p><p>Oikawa stood behind him, looking unimpressed as he slapped the note against his empty hand as he stared Atsumu down. Iwaizumi was nowhere to be found.</p><p>“Sorry, ‘Tsumu-chan,” he said airily. “I was just passing by when I saw you acting just like all the girls you say you hate. So I said to myself, there was no way I could miss this.”</p><p>“Give it back.” Atsumu stepped forward.</p><p>“Maybe I’d look the other way, ‘Tsumu-chan, but you know what? It’s been almost a week, and my nose <em>still </em>hurts. So, <em>you</em> writing a love letter? Mr. Heartbreaker? That’s hilarious.”</p><p>“This ain’t any of yer business!” He lunged forward, but Oikawa backed out of his reach, holding the letter close to his chest as he kept his distance.</p><p>You threw the first punch, ‘Tsumu-chan. You made it my business,” he said. “And now, I’m invested.”</p><p>Growling through his teeth, Atsumu gave chase.</p><p>“First things first,” Oikawa said, unfolding the letter as he kept out of Atsumu’s reach, “you have really got to work on your handwriting. Girls write really cute notes—that’s half the reason to get them.” He placed a hand over his chest as his eyes scanned the note. A few girls giggled softly to each other. “They make you feel all warm inside, which is the point. Now, this—” he held the note closer to his face, then at arms’ length “—this just pisses me off.”</p><p>“There ain’t nothin’ about it that I wanna hear from you,” Atsumu bit out, lunging once more for the note only to have Oikawa gracefully step up and over an unoccupied chair. He was heading to the back of the classroom now on his route away from Atsumu.</p><p>“<em>Dear Omi-kun</em>—”</p><p>Atsumu blanched, nearly tripping with how his stomach plummeted through his body.</p><p>“—<em>Whenever I see you in the morning, it makes my whole day better. Sometimes I even forget we moved to this shitty town in the first place.</em> Ooh, bad language is a no-go. Girls don’t say mean words in their love letters, ‘Tsumu-chan.”</p><p>“Hey.”</p><p>Osamu pushed his chair back and stood, blocking Oikawa’s path for only a second. Oikawa sidestepped in front of his desk, leaving Osamu tipping over his chair’s legs trying to catch up.</p><p>“Get back here,” Osamu said.</p><p>Atsumu was busy trying to get around a group of girls who had pushed their chairs together before the ruckus had begun. They giggled behind their hands, heads bowed toward one another as they pretended Atsumu wasn’t literally standing over their shoulders, trying to get through.</p><p>“Wouldja just quit it already?” Atsumu yelled over their heads. He was starting to sweat, but his skin felt like ice, heart hammering too hard in his chest.</p><p>“<em>You’re prickly at first, but you don’t play the high school game. You’re you, and you don’t pretend to be someone different just so people will leave you alone, not with the germaphobia or anything. You know this shit’s not gonna last forever, that there’s a world out there that’s not this—not things you don’t care about and people who don’t care about you, who only care about the front you put up.</em>”</p><p>Oikawa made it to the front of the room, perching himself on the teacher’s podium while Atsumu slipped into a desk because of his damn school shoes again. Osamu was also making his way forward, dodging around classmates who couldn’t both to move as they watched.</p><p>“<em>And me—I do put up a front. It’s messy and loud, but that’s because if people can’t take my worst, then why should I bother giving them anything else? But you dished it back at me every morning, and then you asked me, ‘Are you alright?’ and nobody’s done that before.</em>”</p><p>“Just stop it already,” Atsumu said, panting as he stood in front of Oikawa. The podium was tall and gave Oikawa just a few inches to look down on him.</p><p>“That’s enough,” Osamu said, standing just a few desks back.</p><p>Oikawa lowered the letter, eyes narrowed at Atsumu. “We haven’t gotten to the good part yet, ‘Tsumu-chan,” he said, his voice deadly cheery. “Isn’t that the whole point? You’re not embarrassed, are you?”</p><p>“Yeah right,” Atsumu snapped. “More like I’m embarrassed at how yer face’ll look after I’m done punchin’ it again.” He stepped forward and Oikawa slid off the podium, placing it between them.</p><p>“<em>So, is that dumb?</em>” Oikawa continued. “<em>If it is, you know I’m the type of guy who doesn’t care. I like you, Omi-kun.</em>”</p><p>“You make fun of me,” Atsumu growled, “but at least I’m honest with my feelings.”</p><p>Oikawa raised an eyebrow. “<em>I like you so much, Omi-kun.</em>”</p><p>“Maybe to a fault,” Atsumu went on, then pounded his fist down on the podium when Oikawa still didn’t look up at him. “But I don’t flirt around with girls, leadin’ them on when I couldn’t be less interested!”</p><p>Finally, Oikawa’s eyes snapped back to his face. “Being kind isn’t a personality flaw,” he said in a low voice, façade gone for just a second. Atsumu glared back, not backing down.</p><p>The classroom was silent after that before footsteps approached, clipping against the floorboards. Atsumu figured it was the teacher about to bash their skulls in, or maybe Osamu getting closer to kick him for causing such a scene, but at least either of those two would put an end to this.</p><p>Sakusa stepped up beside him, reaching across the podium and snatching the letter from Oikawa’s fingers.</p><p>“Oikawa!” Heads turned and there Iwaizumi was in the doorway. He looked ready to blow a gasket before he surveyed the scene and his face sobered. “What the hell did you do this time?”</p><p>Other whispers filled the tense air now that Oikawa’s reading had been interrupted. Iwaizumi entered, trapping Oikawa in a headlock while he tried laughing it off and taunting Iwaizumi about something else instead.</p><p>But Atsumu had it all tuned out. Sakusa had turned back to his desk, and Atsumu followed, heart pounding in his ears now. He thought of how, when he was a cat, his heartbeat could shake his entire tiny body.</p><p>Sakusa looked at him. Atsumu smiled, forcing down every urge that was bubbling up inside him, telling him to brush it all off, make light of it, find anything else to poke fun at that wasn’t himself.</p><p>“They’re confessing, Iwa-chan. Let go!” Oikawa broke free of Iwaizumi’s hold, but Osamu was there, shoving him against the chalkboard and pressing his shoulder down until Oikawa slid to the ground.</p><p>“Was it that bad?” Atsumu asked when Sakusa didn’t say anything right away, keeping the smile plastered so nothing else got out. “Hearin’ it out loud like that—it sounded better in my head, but then most things do until I open my mouth, right?”</p><p>“Just stop it,” Sakusa finally said. His hands were stuffed into his pockets, shoulders hunched like he was in a crowd, but nobody was close. Even Atsumu was a desk away. And the sliver of expression Atsumu could see was that emotionless void, the one he could never read. The one he could so easily lose himself in, trying to figure it out.</p><p>“But that’s why I wrote it all down,” Atsumu continued anyway. “I can’t get out what I really wanna say ‘cause I’m too busy bein’ an ass. I figured that’d prolly happen if I tried to say it all to ya. I dunno, would that’ve been better, Omi-kun?”</p><p>“Why is everything such a big show to you, Miya,” he said, and Atsumu’s eyes drifted down. Sakusa withdrew one hand from his pocket and there was Atsumu’s note, clutched tightly, wrinkled, probably torn from all the abuse it had suffered in the past few minutes. “I don’t care if it’s to push others away, but you can’t do it without everyone watching, can you.”</p><p>Atsumu’s mouth had gone dry.</p><p>“It’s all about you, and you know why, Miya?” Sakusa turned around and held up the crumped letter. “Because you did this without thinking about how I felt, or anyone else for that matter.”</p><p>On the ground, Oikawa’s expression dropped. “Wait,” he said slowly. “I thought you liked ‘Tsumu-chan.”</p><p>“C’mon, Omi-kun. Don’t be like that.” Atsumu stepped forward, swallowing down the bad taste and the words that wanted to rip out of this throat and put up a wall around him. Anything to stop his skin from feeling so stung and raw. “Yer right. I should’ve given it to ya after school or somethin’ like that. I don’t mean to make a big deal outa everything, but I—”</p><p>“You’re obnoxious.” Sakusa’s voice wasn’t loud, but it effectively cut Atsumu off. “You’re annoying and you’re pushy, and I hate people like that. You’re so self-centered—not everyone wants to be dragged out under a spotlight, Miya.”</p><p>“Oh.” Atsumu rubbed the back of his head. Somehow, his smile was still intact though it wasn’t really aiming at anything now. He wasn’t even looking at anything, just another empty desk. “You <em>hate</em> me.” There was an edge to is voice, but he wasn’t sure where it was coming from because he was fine. This was fine. This was what he’d figured would happen all along anyway, if only magic hadn’t intervened and made him think otherwise. “My mistake.”</p><p>Atsumu never ran from anything. Not once in his life did he feel like he had no choice but to run. Not when the other kids wouldn’t talk to him in junior high, not when they wouldn’t sit with him at lunch or told him straight to his face that they didn’t like him. Not when his parents argued or when Osamu was giving him the cold shoulder after a fight. Not when they dropped everything and left Hyougo to come here. He always went headfirst or around but always forward.</p><p>But Atsumu bolted from the classroom and all the eyes but Sakusa’s that were aimed at him. The whispering, the secondhand embarrassment that reflected back on him in waves. He ran, and he didn’t look back.</p><p>The eyes and the whispering followed him out but then so did another set of footsteps. They didn’t stop until they were outside behind the school. Osamu slapped him on the back and his hand stayed there while Atsumu caught his breath.</p><p>“Wouldja,” he started. “Wouldja just quit it already, ‘Tsumu?”</p><p>Atsumu took a moment, just breathing and feeling Osamu’s hand on his back. Running was stupid, but he couldn’t very well just go back after doing so.</p><p>He breathed in deeply, straightening up, and Osamu’s hand fell away. “Maybe,” he sighed at last, tilting his head back, looking at the sky between the tree branches. It was a clear day, but it was going to rain later, maybe tomorrow, he could smell it. He looked back at Osamu. “But that still feels like givin’ up, ya know?”</p><p>“’Tsumu.”</p><p>Giving up didn’t feel right. Giving up was for when things felt too unbearable to move forward, when something didn’t sit right under his skin. Anyway, he’d know it when he’d feel it, and well, what had happened back in the classroom, that was close, but Atsumu didn’t feel it. Not yet.</p><p>He walked over to the building and sat down in the dirt, leaning back against the school.</p><p>“Go to class, ‘Samu.”</p><p>But Osamu followed and sat down next to him, knocking his knee against Atsumu’s roughly. “I told ya givin’ it to him in the morning was stupid.”</p><p>Atsumu shrugged. “Ain’t nothing I can do about it now.”</p><p>“We’ll go back after lunch.”</p><p>“You made something good today, right, ‘Samu?”</p><p>“Don’t I always?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Somehow, Atsumu made it through the rest of the day. Just as he’d said, he and Osamu went back to class after lunch, not flinching as their teacher yelled at them for their tardiness. She didn’t bring up the mess from that morning, so Atsumu assumed no one in class had told her. He was still trying to wrap his head around that on the way home. It was better to think about that than to remember how Sakusa and Komori had stood up at the end of the day and never once glanced to the back of the room.</p><p>Atsumu wanted to curl up in a hole and disappear.</p><p>There was no point going out after they got home either. While Osamu did homework, Atsumu moped on the lower bunk, too tired to both climbing up into his own. Osamu let him. They didn’t even play their usual game when their parents started arguing downstairs. They didn’t say much of anything until their mom called them downstairs.</p><p>“Do I have to?” Atsumu groaned into Osamu’s pillow.</p><p>“What, ya want me to tell them yer too buy bein’ a crybaby to come eat dinner?” Osamu asked, standing up. “Dad would come up here and drag ya down himself.”</p><p>Atsumu groaned again but got up and followed Osamu downstairs after briefly checking his face in the bathroom. It wasn’t like he’d been crying, but his face just didn’t feel like it was sitting right against the bone structure of his face.</p><p>Downstairs, their parents were already waiting at the table. Their dad had his phone up, likely typing up an email or something work related until their mom cleared her throat as they took their seats. Their dad took a minute more to finish before he finally tucked his phone away into his pocket and looked at the two of them.</p><p>“Yer grades comin’ along, boys?” he asked.</p><p>“Yes,” Osamu said.</p><p>Atsumu shrugged.</p><p>Their dad had started to eat, but he didn’t miss the motion. “Speak up, Atsumu. Yer grades. Are they good?”</p><p>“Yes,” Atsumu sighed, glaring at his plate. Just for one night could they leave him alone? He just wanted one dinner where he didn’t have to answer to anyone and where he didn’t have to lie.</p><p>“And how was school today?” their dad continued.</p><p>“It was fine,” Atsumu grumbled, causing their mom to sigh.</p><p>“You always say that, Atsumu,” she said. “Could you, for once, tell us about school? It’s always fine with you. What’re yer grades like? How’re yer teachers? Just once?”</p><p>Atsumu ground his teeth together. He didn’t just put up with such a shitty day to take this from his parents. Not after months of them not giving a shit.</p><p>“Like I said—<em>it was fine</em>. What more do ya want me to say, Mom?” he said, eyes bearing into her until he finally let them drop. “It’s not like ya care anyway.”</p><p>“Atsumu,” their dad barked. “Don’t speak to yer mom that way.”</p><p>“Why not?” he snapped. Osamu was silent at his side. Atsumu was breaking the rules, engaging and pushing back against something they both knew they couldn’t change. And Atsumu knew that, but he was doing it anyway, even if Osamu never forgave him. “If I say it’s fine, why can’tcha leave it at that, huh? Ya want me to tell ya how shit it’s been since movin’ here—”</p><p>“Language!” Her voice was shrill.</p><p>“—‘cause I can go into detail,” Atsumu continued over her.</p><p>“Please,” their dad said stiffly, eyebrows narrowed, “don’t hold back on our account then.”</p><p>“Exactly!” Atsumu’s hands swiped out, nearly hitting Osamu who leaned aside. “You guys never do. Ya know what a pain that is to be around every day? All ya do is complain and nag. So what if I’m lyin’ when I say everything’s fine. You should be thankin’ me for not expectin’ you to fix anything in my life. We’ve been cleanin’ up yer messes since you were the ones that moved us here in the first place! Do ya want me to be worse? Because I can easily be awful about everything.”</p><p>Somewhere during his rant, Atsumu had gotten to his feet, his chair toppled over behind him. Their dad was fuming, face red. Their mom’s eyes were wide, mouth opened in objection, but no sound came out. Then there was Osamu. He stared up at him with nothing telling on his face, and that only made Atsumu angrier. He hated those expressions.</p><p>People put up all kinds of walls to keep outsiders away, but those were the worst. They were detached, disinterested, uncaring. They were closed off to the world around them.</p><p>
  <em>Sakusa was right. It’s always about you.</em>
</p><p>Osamu didn’t say it, but he didn’t have to.</p><p>Atsumu shoved himself away from the table. He wasn’t running away this time. He was just sick of dealing with all of it. He was going around but forward. Yeah, that was it.</p><p>This time, Osamu didn’t follow after him. Nobody did.</p><p>So, it was easy to grab the mask under his mattress and escape outside, down to the streets as a cat. Nobody called after him, the door didn’t open, no one came outside to look up and down the street, wondering where he went. The lights didn’t go on in their room. Only the kitchen stayed lit where the rest of them finished dinner.</p><p>And that was fine with Atsumu.</p><p>He didn’t need his parents. He never did. And Osamu—well, Osamu didn’t need him, so Atsumu figured he was better off. Osamu was always everyone’s favorite anyway. Alone, he’d probably have an easier time fitting in at school. Without Atsumu, he would’ve had half the class as his friend by now, whether he meant to or not.</p><p>Atsumu made it to the shrine. The only place that felt completely removed from this dumb town he didn’t belong to, the family he didn’t feel part of.</p><p>Because if he couldn’t do it right, then why bother doing it at all?</p><p>The shrine was deserted and dark, just like always. Around back, there was a crack in the wood by one corner, and Atsumu squeezed inside. It only got cleaned up for festivals. Now, though it had only been a few weeks, the inside was already dusty and covered in cobwebs. There were probably rats, too, with the hole in the wall, but he couldn’t hear or see anything.</p><p>Sakusa and Osamu were right. Atsumu was a jerk. He didn’t care about anyone but himself or anything he could benefit from.</p><p>He only liked Sakusa at first because he was handsome. And then liked him even more when he learned how straightforward he was, even funny. How he’d do his own thing unapologetically, not caring what their classmates thought. That made him cool.</p><p>But when Atsumu did the whole uncaring thing, that made him a monster.</p><p>He thought of all the tears he’d caused for all those girls. Oikawa’s bloody face. Leaving Osamu home alone to go play pet with Sakusa.</p><p>It wasn’t like he regretted any of those things now, but that was exactly the point that made him so unbearable.</p><p>And what made Aki so much more likeable.</p><p>After all, nobody cares what a cat thinks. It was only frustratingly adorable when they got up to mischief. All you do was feed it and take care of it. A cat can’t really hurt your feelings. It doesn’t have the capacity to.</p><p>That makes the arrangement easier on both parts.</p><p>Which was why Sakusa clearly preferred Aki to Atsumu. Given the chance, everyone would. His parents and Osamu included.</p><p>But now everybody hated Atsumu, so shouldn’t that make it clear? He’d just hide out as Aki for a while. That was the only chance he’d ever get at hearing someone like Sakusa say <em>I like you</em>. Atsumu the human had long since lost his chance at that.</p><p>At some point, Atsumu dozed off, and the next time he woke, the sun had completely set and it was dark outside. For the first time, he felt the cold dampness in the air inside the shrine. He wondered what could be going on at home, but it was probably not anything out of the usual. His parents were doing whatever they normally did. Osamu would be in their room at his desk, pouring over homework or maybe reading some manga if he was done for the night. They were all likely thinking he’d come back after he had cooled off.</p><p>Well, Atsumu didn’t want to prove them right by running back now.</p><p>The only person that would be happy to see him would be Sakusa, and that’d only be because Atsumu was Aki. Still, that was better than nothing. It was better than spending the rest of the night in the shrine, tempting the rats to come fight him for their territory.</p><p>So, Atsumu squeezed back out of the shrine and padded down the hill toward town. He followed his usual route to Sakusa’s house after he got to the street. It was late, but when he dropped down into the backyard, the light was still on in Sakusa’s room. He crossed the yard quickly but hesitated in front of the window, crouching down to he only peeked over the edge of the window.</p><p>There was Sakusa, laying on his back in his bed as he looked up at his ceiling, face as impassive as ever.</p><p>Atsumu had the briefest moment of panic, wondering if this was just another bad idea tacked on the end of a very long list, but he had to remind himself that, to Sakusa, Atsumu and Aki were completely separate parts of his life. There was no need for him to worry.</p><p>Nevertheless, Atsumu sat and watched. It was a silence he didn’t want to break by pawing at the window. Because, unlike Atsumu, Aki knew how to be quiet.</p><p>Then, Sakusa turned his head, and their eyes locked. Atsumu froze, still feeling like he was somewhere he shouldn’t be.</p><p>But if he couldn’t be here, even as Aki, then he honestly had no idea where to turn next. Then, he really would be just another stray cat.</p><p>“It’s a bit late for you,” came Sakusa’s muffled voice, and he sat up to slide the window open.</p><p>Atsumu jumped inside and moved to the end of Sakusa’s bed where he sat and stared back at Sakusa. He’d never been allowed in his bed before. Was that why he still felt so twitchy? Like he just might jump out of his skin at any second?</p><p>Sakusa settled back against the wall. “I haven’t seen you in a while,” he continued. “I was starting to think you got hit by a car.”</p><p>That might’ve been better than the whole mess that had happened today, Atsumu figured. He laid down on the bed, right on the very edge. If Sakusa stretched his foot out, he might kick him right off.</p><p>“Actually, I thought you might be showing up at the studio,” Sakusa said. “No one’s been there all week. I thought about checking if you were there, but…” He shrugged. “By next month, it will be up for sale, just as my mom promised.”</p><p>Atsumu’s heart sunk at the news, and then it fell completely away when the realization hit him..</p><p>“Grandpa passed away last week, so there really is no one that will use it now,” Sakusa said, his voice not changing in the slightest. “I thought you might have known and decided to go away, too.”</p><p>So, Atsumu really was that selfish. He hadn’t even used the mask like he’d planned to. Atsumu had knowns Sakusa’s grandpa was in the hospital because of the mask, but had he done anything about it? No, he’d been too distracted that Sakusa had talked to him, had shared his lunch with him that day and then got it stuck in his head that he had to go write that stupid letter.</p><p>Atsumu didn’t for a second think about what Sakusa’s absences had meant at school.</p><p>He really was as worthless as they said.</p><p>Sakusa sighed. “But hang out here as long as you like.” After a moment, he stood up and crossed his room to his desk. It was bare except for a single piece of paper. It looked like it had been crumpled up, but now it was carefully smoothed out as much as it could be.</p><p>Atsumu watched from the bed, tense, half-formed thoughts berating the back of his mind.</p><p>Sakusa clicked his tongue down at the paper, drawing Atsumu’s full attention.</p><p>“He can’t get out what he really wants to say? What a joke.” Sakusa’s lips turned down into a scowl. “He didn’t have to make it so obvious.”</p><p>Atsumu flinched. Maybe his instincts had been right. This wasn’t the right place for him to be after all.</p><p>“Why can’t he just leave me alone?” Sakusa’s eyebrows narrowed as he stared down at the note. “He can’t possibly get that much enjoyment out of making fun of me, can he?” His eyes swung up to land on Atsumu, who lowered his head, ears back.</p><p>It took a moment, but Sakusa finally came back over and sat on the edge of the bed next to Atsumu. He ran a hand down his back.</p><p>“Not like him,” he said, his voice quieter now. “He practically begs for it with the way he reacts to everything. And me…” Sakusa was silent for a moment. “I thought I’d gotten over it a long time ago.”</p><p>He flopped backwards and turned so his face was pressed against Atsumu’s side. Atsumu froze, looking straight ahead at the opposite wall, afraid if he moved, Sakusa would disappear from his side.</p><p>“Thanks for coming back, Aki.” The voice was soft and muffled by the fur. If Atsumu had been human, he probably wouldn’t have caught it, but the words were there.</p><p>Slowly, he relaxed against Sakusa, even when Sakusa picked up his feet, laying the wrong way in bed and falling asleep with the lights on. Atsumu was still pressed against the curly hair at the crown of his head.</p><p>It had been a long, miserable day, but for once, he was finally able to wrangle a bit of gratitude out of someone. He was a cat, and all he’d really done was sit there silently and listened, but it had worked.</p><p>In the end, he’d failed. He couldn’t bring the attributes Sakusa liked in Aki into Atsumu. He and this cat version of himself were just too different. But at least in all of this, one half of who he could be was helpful to someone. He wasn’t completely good for nothing, not completely worthless after all. Not as Aki.</p>
<hr/><p>The sun was well over the horizon and shining brightly through the window over the bed when Atsumu woke the next day. It was disorienting at first. Back home, their windows faced west, so it wasn’t so bright in the mornings. Plus, the sheets smelled like Sakusa, and it filled his nose until he was lost in it before he even opened his eyes.</p><p>It was crisp and clean and foreign smelling. Atsumu rolled lazily to his feet, arching his back in a stretch and kneading his paws in the bedding.</p><p>He was alone in the room, but it was still a peaceful way of waking up. Like a weekend, but with no one else around to wake him before he was ready. No muffled voices from downstairs that he tried not to listen too closely to. It was quiet. Part of him wondered if Sakusa could be in the bathroom, that he would return in a few minutes, and then this lazy day could start, and Atsumu could be happy pretending yesterday never happened, pretending he was just Aki, no one else.</p><p>But that was all a happy fantasy until he looked up at the clock on the wall. It was after nine. School had already started.</p><p>Atsumu’s fur stood on end and he leapt for the window, heart sinking when he realized it was shut and there was no way for him to leave. The teacher would definitely tear into this time and in front of everybody, too. Sakusa would have to watch, and it would be miserable all over again.</p><p>“Wait, I’m still a cat,” he murmured to himself. He sat down in the middle of Sakusa’s bed. He couldn’t get to class even if he wanted, and it wasn’t like he was planning on going anyway, even if he was human and back at home. “Cats don’t go to school anyway. They don’t have to bother with that shit.”</p><p>He would never be able to live down what happened yesterday. He’d never be able to face Sakusa again, not as Atsumu anyway.</p><p>Besides, all that troublesome schoolwork he barely passed, the argument with his parents, dealing with Osamu—none of mattered when he was a cat. He could sleep whenever he wanted, eat whenever he wanted, just like how he spent his weekends with Sakusa, and what a relief they were.</p><p>It wasn’t like he had any desire to force himself on Sakusa again—at least not any time soon—so there was really no better option. He could hide out here as Aki as long as he wanted, and no one would come looking.</p><p>Suddenly, his ears pricked up at a sound. He couldn’t quite place it, it was so soft. Then, he looked up.</p><p>Peering in through the window was Kita. He looked like royalty with his long white fur, the black edges to it, but it never made him look dirty. His tail was lifted ever so slightly.</p><p>Kita sat in front of the window, and with his forepaws, slid it aside, just like Sakusa had done to let Atsumu in last night. Only Atsumu never would have been able to open it from outside. Sakusa always kept it locked, so Atsumu was sure no human could have either.</p><p>All the same, Kita came in through the slightest crack and sat on the windowsill above him.</p><p>“Shouldn’t you be in school?” he asked evenly, but it still made Atsumu automatically defensive.</p><p>“No,” he said, turning up his nose. “I’m a cat. Cats don’t go to school.”</p><p>“Last I checked, you were human,” Kita said, “with a cat mask.”</p><p>Atsumu deflated. “Yeah, well, I’m a cat for today. Just leave me alone, will ya?” With his head lowered, he lifted his eyes to Kita. “I’m done being Atsumu for right now, okay?”</p><p>“Just for right now?” Kita cocked his head. “How long will that be?”</p><p>“How the hell should I know?” Atsumu snapped, bearing his teeth. “Look—I’ll go back to being Atsumu when—when it feels like it’s the right place for me to be.”</p><p>Kita shook his head. “It’ll never just <em>feel</em> that way, Atsumu. It’s something you make happen, one way or another.”</p><p>“I tried, alright? I tried playin’ both sides of the fence, but I still managed to screw everything up.”</p><p>There was silence for a minute, Kita letting him stew in his self-made misery. Atsumu should have felt antsy, like he needed to be at school, like he needed to take the mask off and return to everyone, return to humanity.</p><p>But it didn’t feel that way.</p><p>He was just Aki, and if anything, he felt like he could use another nap.</p><p>He’d thought it’d be so obvious when it all got too unbearable, but that wasn’t right at all.</p><p>“Well?” Kita finally said. “Are ya ready to make a decision then?”</p><p>Atsumu cringed at the thought. “Now? Why’s it gotta be now?”</p><p>Kita blinked down at him. “Because, Atsumu. It’s when you feel like this that there is nowhere left to go but up.” He jumped down from the window to join Atsumu on the bed. “You just have to decide to do it. One way—” he tilted his head to the left “or another.” He tilted his head to the right. “I need to leave here with one mask.”</p><p>“How do I…even go about givin’ you the other one?”</p><p>“Easy,” Kita said. “You decide you don’t want to be human anymore.”</p><p>Was that what he wanted?</p><p>It would be better for everyone else. He couldn’t keep his big mouth shut when he was human, and he only ended up getting into everyone’s way. Even Sakusa had admitted he liked Aki more than he’d ever like Atsumu. No, he despised Atsumu.</p><p>And really, didn’t everyone despise him to some degree?</p><p>A feeling came over him, like peeling off a sweaty shirt while under the hot summer sun, or opening a window to a room with dusty, stale air. Like a weight had been removed from his chest.</p><p>From nowhere, a mask fell in front of him, facedown on Sakusa’s bed. Atsumu blinked down at it.</p><p>“See?” Kita said, standing up. “You can make decisions fast when ya need to, and it feels a lot better once ya pick one side of the fence, right?”</p><p>Atsumu was unsettled with the sudden relief. The weight of all of Atsumu’s responsibilities just floating away, unnecessary now. He looked at Kita. “Why does it feel like yer trickin’ me?”</p><p>“I’m not.” Kita stepped forward and pawed the mask until it tipped upward and disappeared into his fur. “All I need is one mask. It’s a trade. You picked what’s right for you, and now it’s time for us to both move forward on our own paths. Congrats, ya got what you wanted, I hope.” He turned his back on Atsumu and strode back over to the open window, leaping back onto the sill.</p><p>“So that’s it? I’m just a cat now?”</p><p>Kita looked back over his shoulder. “Well, ya can’t turn back without yer human mask, but give it a day or so, and yes, you’ll be a real cat. No more human responsibilities,” he said. “But once the change is permanent, there’s nothing I can do. Until then, feel free to change yer mind. There’s a grace period to all this. Like I said, I’m not tryin’ to trick ya.”</p><p>“Oh.” Atsumu wasn’t sure whether or not to be disappointed, but really, he didn’t feel anything beyond the initial change. This was…alright. It was easy. He could do this, no problem.</p><p>“Good luck, Atsumu.” Kita peered at him closely before stepping outside and moving to shut the door. “I s’pose you learned something. I just hope yer decision makes you happy.”</p><p>Atsumu frowned after him. “I don’t do anything that doesn’t make me happy,” he said, though Kita was gone. “Look at me, perfectly happy.”</p><p>And he went to take a nap on Sakusa’s bed like he’d intended since waking up.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm excited to get to this point so I could write what comes after. I really hope you liked the new chapter.</p><p>Thank you so much for the kind comments and kudos! Every time I see them they make me so eager to write more.</p><p>Have a good week, everyone!</p><p> </p><p>  <a href="http://silentmarco.tumblr.com">My Tumblr</a><br/></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. A Cat</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>There are some point of view switches in this chapter.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Osamu hadn't been all that bothered when they first got news that they were moving. It was a total pain, but he hadn't blown up about it like Atsumu had. To be fair, Atsumu was a bit of a control freak, so Osamu had been expecting such a reaction. He wasn't sure what exactly would be the straw that broke the camel’s back, but he'd known something would sooner or later. </p><p>After all, Atsumu was always one piece of straw away from a broken back anyway.</p><p>So, Osamu knew all the signs leading up to a breakdown, but that didn't mean he could do anything to prevent one. The best thing to do was let it happen. If need be, they could both punch and kick at each other until they both tired out, and then get on with their lives. Otherwise, if Atsumu was off moping somewhere else, it was best to lie low and wait for the storm to pass.</p><p>Looking at the sky the next day and smelling the breeze on his walk to school alone, Osamu knew that the storm was just on the horizon.</p><p>He sighed. At least he had his umbrella with him.</p><p>It was quiet, even just hearing only one set of footsteps on the ground made him resent Atsumu for getting himself worked up so much.</p><p>He hadn't come back overnight. Part of Osamu hadn't expected him to, but the other part of him couldn't help but stay up and wait. Atsumu could come back and mope around all he wanted. He rarely hid the fact that he was upset from the world. He was more the type to lay face down in the center of the stage so everyone could watch him suffer before he eventually pulled himself to his feet and got on with it.</p><p>Then again, that was exactly what Sakusa had told him so bluntly in front of the class.</p><p>Osamu wondered if that had anything to do with Atsumu's disappearance. He wasn't the type to take criticism from others. He only took it after he ran headfirst into the wall so many times and had made the decision to improve on his own.</p><p>What a tiring way to live.</p><p>And now, Osamu had to carry the weight of his twin's absence.</p><p>The ghost of yesterday's drama still hung in the classroom, but that could be his imagination. In the end, it was still high school, and kids moved on quickly, but he felt a pair of eyes on him as he moved to the back of the classroom and sat down. When he looked, it was Sakusa who had been watching him walk in. Osamu half expected him to stand and walk back, question him coldly where Atsumu was. And Osamu wished he would just so he'd have a chance at making Sakusa feel guilty. It wasn't likely Oikawa would come close enough to any kind of regret, and odds were, Sakusa wouldn't either, but Osamu couldn't help the cold want for revenge just a little.</p><p>But Sakusa did not come back, and Osamu met his stare until he looked away as the teacher walked in.</p><p>Atsumu wasn't here to be an ass about what happened yesterday, so it looked like Osamu would have to do his best to fill in for him.</p><p>And that was all well and good, but nobody brought up what had happened yesterday. Other than the glance sent his way this morning, Sakusa didn’t so much as look at him again. Komori didn’t either. Oikawa didn’t suddenly appear in the halls, and Osamu ate lunch by himself at his desk.</p><p>It still looked like rain outside. He didn’t want to chance it.</p><p>He wondered if Atsumu had at least found somewhere to hole up in to stay out of the rain, but he hadn’t the slightest idea where Atsumu might’ve run off to. Almost six months in this town and they still didn’t know it well enough. They went to and from school without making any stops other than the convenience store for ice cream. During summer break, all they did was stay in their room playing videos games.</p><p>If Osamu didn’t already know, he’d say Atsumu was hiding somewhere stupid like behind their house, but that wasn’t the case. Osamu had already checked there.</p><p>He hadn’t looked anywhere else, but that was because he wasn’t worried yet. It hadn’t even been a full twenty-four hours.</p><p>But then, before afternoon classes started, he was called down to the headmaster’s office.</p><p>Osamu bristled immediately in the doorway. And the worry started settling in.</p><p>There were his parents, sitting in front of the headmaster’s desk, and then Sakusa and Oikawa, standing off to the side. Gritting his teeth, Osamu only moved when the headmaster noticed him and waved him in. He stood next to Sakusa but with enough distance that it verged on hovering near the door still. Sakusa didn’t look at him. Oikawa was the only one who cast him a glance, leaning around Sakusa to do so.</p><p>His parents ran through the whole issue of Atsumu running away. The headmaster nodded along as if he’d heard it before the three of them had even arrived. Osamu couldn’t see Oikawa from where he stood, but Sakusa’s face was blank, half hidden by his facemask, hands tucked away into pockets, and Osamu fumed silently in place, telling himself over and over that he would not stomp out of here. He would not slam the door behind him.</p><p><em>This</em> was their parents’ first step in finding Atsumu? Jump to conclusions that he had run away? Go to their headmaster? As if the man could pick out Atsumu’s face in a crowd.</p><p>They hadn’t even asked Osamu. They had just walked out the door this morning like everything was normal, then ambushed him here at school, like he was some suspect in his brother’s tantrum.</p><p>The headmaster sighed, removing his glasses to run a hand over his face.</p><p>“You boys are Atsumu’s friends,” he said to Oikawa and Sakusa. While Oikawa pursed his lips together, Sakusa’s face pinched at the word. “Did either of you know about this?”</p><p>“No, sir,” said Oikawa.</p><p>“No,” echoed Sakusa’s quieter tone.</p><p>“Has there been any trouble in school?” The headmaster’s eyes moved between the three of them. “Anything I should know about.”</p><p>“No,” the two of them said, and Osamu’s hands clenched into fists at his side.</p><p>“<em>This is stupid</em>.”</p><p>Everyone’s eyes landed on Osamu, but he was looking away.</p><p>“What was that, young man?” The headmaster’s voice was low, probably a warning, but Osamu didn’t care.</p><p>He looked at him square in the eye. “I said, this is stupid,” he said slowly. “And it’s not goin’ to help find ‘Tsumu.” He pointed at Sakusa and Oikawa. “<em>They</em> aren’t even his friends, so how the hell would they know?”</p><p>“<em>Osamu</em>,” his mom snapped just as the headmaster jerked to his feet.</p><p>“And <em>you</em>,” he threw the words at his parents, though his volume hadn’t risen. Usually he could shout just as loudly as Atsumu, but maybe that was Atsumu’s fault for needing to be shouted over in the first place. “Yer piss poor examples of parents who just want <em>someone</em> <em>else</em> to find their son. And you haven’t even looked.” He bit off the last part. They gaped back at him.</p><p>This time, he let himself walk out. He even let himself slam the door. The reverberation it sent through his body was gratifying. So was his mom’s squawk he heard behind the closed door.</p><p>He stomped down the hallway, undecided if he was going to go back to class or not. It’d be a waste to try to sit through afternoon classes, but if he did, he’d probably get in less trouble than he already was.</p><p>A pair of footsteps rang out in the empty hall, and he really hoped it wasn’t his parents.</p><p>“Miya.”</p><p>He stopped. He couldn’t hear that voice without imagining Atsumu at his side, doofy grin on his face as suddenly the rest of the world dropped away. Osamu turned back, still frowning.</p><p>There was Sakusa. Oikawa was a few steps behind him.</p><p>“I’m about three seconds from bustin’ yer face up,” he said to Oikawa. He wanted to fight Sakusa, too, but the guy was taller than him. If he had to pick one, he was going to go with the pretty boy with the bad attitude. “What d’ya want.”</p><p>Oikawa squinted at him, not quite a glare, but it wasn’t anything pleasant. “I’m sorry,” he said flatly. “For yesterday. I wanted to pay him back. I didn’t think—” his eyes slid to Sakusa “—it’d go down like that.”</p><p>“Like I give a shit,” Osamu said. “I’m not the one needin’ an apology.”</p><p>Oikawa shrugged. “You’re right.” He glanced between the two as the silence settled. Then, he shrugged again. “I’m going back to class.” He started walking, then paused next to Osamu. “I hope you find your brother.”</p><p>Osamu might’ve taken a swing, but Oikawa was already walking again and disappearing around the corner. Osamu glared after him.</p><p>And he was left alone in this silence with Sakusa still just standing there.</p><p>“Do you know where he is?” Sakusa finally asked, and Osamu turned his glare on him.</p><p>“No,” he said sharply, “and if I did, I wouldn’t tell you. I’m just the shitty brother who couldn’t keep him from gettin’ himself hurt.”</p><p>
  <em>If I was gonna run away, you’d be the first to know.</em>
</p><p>“It was just s’posed to be a stupid crush,” he continued. “He wasn’t s’posed to do anything about it. He was just s’posed to get over it.”</p><p>Sakusa stared at him. “Will he come back?”</p><p>Osamu turned away. He could get why Atsumu liked Sakusa. He was attractive and all—face on display now with his mask pulled down to his chin—but that cold stare, the monotone voice—<em>sheesh</em>. “He’ll show up eventually,” he muttered. “When he does, if ya meant whatcha said about hatin’ him—wouldja just ignore him?”</p><p>Sakusa didn’t say anything, so Osamu looked at him again.</p><p>“I’m—"</p><p>“This ain’t about you. Not all of it,” Osamu said, then gave a stiff bow, hating it. “And I apologize for my parents. They wanna shift the blame and find someone else to clean up their messes as usual, and I wouldn’t want anyone thinkin’ yer ‘Tsumu’s friend, right?”</p><p>A new set of footsteps cut off anything Sakusa might have said. Komori walked up to them.</p><p>“Is everything alright?” he asked, and Osamu felt any remaining tension lift. Now, he was just tired. “The teacher sent me to check on you guys.”</p><p>“Miya ran away from home,” Sakusa told him.</p><p>“So that’s why he wasn’t in class today.”</p><p>“Whatever. It’s not yer problem,” Osamu said before he walked away. “Tell the teacher I went home early. I’m goin’ to look for him.” He’d made up his mind. He couldn’t be bothered with anymore school today.</p><p>He was going to find Atsumu and drag him back, kicking and screaming. That way, he could at least prove his parents wrong about Atsumu really running away from home and maybe lessen whatever punishment would follow his return.</p><p>“I’m coming, too.” Sakusa was beside him, matching pace as he readjusted his mask up over her nose.</p><p>Osamu opened his mouth to object.</p><p>“It’s not that I hate him,” Sakusa continued before he could say anything. “I don’t…want him to get into trouble on my account.”</p><p>“I told you, this has nothin’ to do with ya,” Osamu muttered under his breath.</p><p>“Still.”</p>
<hr/><p>It was around the time that school should have been ending that the rain finally started to fall. Atsumu was sitting on Sakusa’s window sill, watching as the clouds gathered, darkened, and then finally opened up.</p><p>Atsumu felt lazy, but it was the good kind of lazy. Like lazing around during break. Like having the house to himself for the night. That had only happened back in Hyougo. Those rare occasions that his parents went out and Osamu had gone to study with friends. Atsumu was always invited along, but he’d never give up a chance at having the house to himself.</p><p>He’d get bored by the end of it, maybe a bit lonely, but somebody was always there to come home.</p><p>He wasn’t lonely now. His stomach was full with the food Sakusa had left out for him. He’d spent the majority of the afternoon napping in the middle of Sakusa’s bed, breathing in the unfamiliar scent until it was comforting and he could forget about Kita’s earlier visit.</p><p>Sakusa’s bedroom door hadn’t been closed entirely, so when Atsumu heard the front door open and close, he slipped out.</p><p>Sakusa came in briskly, closing his umbrella and toeing off his shoes. Despite the cover of his umbrella, he still looked like he’d gotten wet. His hair was curlier with the humidity, droplets clinging here and there, and the shoulders of his school jacket were damp. He sighed before his eyes lifted and he spotted Atsumu.</p><p>“You’re still here,” he murmured as he lowered his facemask.</p><p>Sakusa’s eyes followed him as Atsumu trotted over to press against his ankles. Being a cat wasn’t so bad. It was easy to just let these new instincts take over.</p><p>“What, did your owners kick you out or something?” Sakusa bent down to scratch behind his ears. “Though I can’t blame you for not wanting to be out in that.”</p><p>He stood and walked into the house, peering into the kitchen and other rooms. Atsumu followed.</p><p>“Mom,” he said once, loudly.</p><p>The house was silent in response. Atsumu mewed, but Sakusa didn’t look at him again.</p><p>He sighed again. “There should be time before dinner.” He pulled out his phone to text something as Atsumu picked up his figure eights between Sakusa’s ankles, starting to get annoyed that Sakusa’s attention wasn’t on him. Finally, after Sakusa had tucked away his phone and pulled his mask back up, he looked down at Atsumu. “I’m going out. Don’t cause too much trouble if you’re staying here.”</p><p>Atsumu meowed and ran after him to the door. It wasn’t fair. He always went with Sakusa when he went out after school. He wasn’t going to be left behind now. He balanced on his hand legs to paw at Sakusa’s pants.</p><p>Sakusa looked down at him for a moment before crouching down to pick him up. He set Atsumu on his shoulder, which was big enough—and Atsumu was small enough—for him to cling on.</p><p>The door opened, and Sakusa opened his umbrella before stepping back out. The rain drummed overhead. Atsumu tucked his tail around to Sakusa’s other shoulder to steady himself. Sakusa had never carried him around like this. He was taller than Atsumu had been as a human, so the new perspective made the world look different.</p><p>That could’ve also been his cat eyes slowly becoming his. Something more than just looking through a mask.</p><p>Sakusa walked up and down the streets of his neighborhood, peering into tight alleyways, head constantly on a swivel. Sometimes he’d bring his hand up to support Atsumu or petting him without thinking.</p><p>This wasn’t just a casual stroll through the rain, Atsumu eventually realized. This was a meticulous combing of each street.</p><p>They passed cafés and shops. Any late afternoon crowds were kept home due to the rain. It wasn’t downtown, but there were still things to do around here.</p><p>Sakusa seemed to know every nook and cranny of it all. There were places Atsumu had never seen. Hidden cafés in backstreets covered in ivy. A park with a brightly colored playground that sat dripping and empty.</p><p>Sakusa didn’t linger in any of these places. He just looked, glanced in through the windows, and moved on.</p><p>“What do you think?” Sakusa murmured, his voice low enough that only Atsumu could hear before the rain swallowed it up. “This town isn’t small. I bet you know a bunch of good hiding places.”</p><p>Atsumu blinked at him, sitting so close that he could clearly make out the two moles over his right eye that were almost hidden by his hair if you tried to find them from a distance.</p><p>“Do you know where Miya might be?” Sakusa continued. He passed a convenience store and glanced in. The fluorescents were a cold, harsh light even through the windows and reflected off the puddles on the ground.</p><p>Atsumu recognized it as the place he and Osamu usually stopped in for ice cream on the way home. A few people moved up and down the aisles inside, but Sakusa didn’t see what he was looking for and moved on.</p><p>But Sakusa was looking for <em>him</em>?</p><p>He circled around back where a couple of vending machines sat. Atsumu never knew anything was behind the building, but it was deserted.</p><p>“Atsumu,” Sakusa said almost like he was testing it out.</p><p>Atsumu’s fur stood on end.</p><p>Why was Sakusa looking for him? He’d only missed one day of school. That was nothing to worry about. Unless Osamu had been talking, but Atsumu couldn’t see him doing that.</p><p>He shook his head, flicking off a few stray raindrops that had fallen onto him from the tips of the umbrella.</p><p>None of that mattered. Sakusa didn’t like him. He hated him, so none of it made sense as to why he was out in the rain looking for him.</p><p>Sakusa’s phone rang out impossibly loud with some top twenty-five chart song that Atsumu never would have expected to be on Sakusa’s phone. It broke the white noise of the rain around them. He reached for his pocket quickly and Atsumu nearly slid off his shoulder.</p><p>“Hello.”</p><p>Atsumu twitched his ears, but even being so close to Sakusa’s head, all he picked up was static on the other end. Weird.</p><p>Sakusa sighed, his heaviest one yet, dragging on his shoulders. “Nothing here either.” A pause. “That’s fine.”</p><p>Then the line went dead, but instead of putting it away, Sakusa brought the phone down and tapped a few times through his contacts before lifting it back to his ear.</p><p>“Miya,” he said when the ringing stopped, and Atsumu wanted to wrestle the phone from him and find out exactly why Sakusa had his brother’s phone number.</p><p>But he didn’t do that. He was just a cat.</p><p>“Komori checked the train station and downtown, but there was no sign of him.”</p><p>Komori was looking, too? Just how many people were out there in this awful weather because of him. The guilt made his chest tight, but then anger quickly replaced it.</p><p>They weren’t allowed to pull this crap. They weren’t allowed ignore him when he was there and then wish for him when he wasn’t.</p><p>Atsumu wished he could hear what his brother was saying on the other end of the phone.</p><p>“Yeah, he’s calling it a night. No luck?”</p><p>Atsumu guessed not. It was the way Sakusa’s face pinched and how Atsumu was sitting here on Sakusa’s shoulder and had not seen his brother since last night at dinner.</p><p>Of course, Osamu wouldn’t have found him.</p><p>“Same here. I have one last place to check, but I’ll let you know.”</p><p>Then, Sakusa snapped his phone shut and put it away.</p><p>They returned to the park. The lights had flickered to life in the lamp posts by now. Atsumu figured it was a little early still for that, but it was a gray day. No way to tell where the sun was at in the sky, and it was getting darker. Soon, it’d be dinner time. Sakusa would probably feed him again if Atsumu let him carry him back to the house. He wondered if Sakusa would find it strange that this stray cat had suddenly adopted him after spending weeks coming and going.</p><p>Atsumu hoped he wouldn’t.</p><p>Atsumu hoped he’d let him stay.</p><p>Even if he wanted to go home, his mom was allergic to cats.</p><p>Sakusa’s pace slowed until he sank down onto a bench beneath the largest tree in the park. Atsumu cringed imagining the rainwater soaking through his pants. He jumped down next to him and cringed again at the water between his pads.</p><p>No wonder cats hated water.</p><p>Sakusa leaned back, umbrella tipped away but still covering them for the most part. Besides, though the clouds were thick, the rain was starting to slow. He might not even need the umbrella for the walk home. He pulled down his mask and took a deep breath and then let it out.</p><p>“It’d probably be easier to just let his brother take care of it, right?” Sakusa said. “He would know him best. Not me.” He turned his head to look at Atsumu. “I don’t know where he goes outside of school or what he does. I can’t even tell you why I’m bothering to look.”</p><p>Atsumu narrowed his eyes up at him. <em>Yeah, why’re ya botherin’?</em></p><p>“But now, nobody can find him. Not his brother. Not me. I’ll be honest, Aki, I don’t even know if his parents are looking.”</p><p><em>They’re not.</em> His tail lashed out behind him. <em>Ya don’t gotta tell me that.</em></p><p>“Maybe I’m just doing this on the off chance that he’d meant what he said,” Sakusa continued. He looked away, leaning forward to twiddle his fingers together between his knees, which were stretched out in front of him. “I mean, nobody has ever written me a note like that before. And if he wasn’t just tormenting me like the kids used to in junior high, well then———”</p><p>Atsumu perked up, sitting straighter to take a closer look at Sakusa’s face. He wasn’t looking at him anymore, but he hadn’t just stopped talking. His lips still moved a bit before he pressed them together.</p><p>So then, why were his words turning into muffled garbage?</p><p>In the pause, Atsumu could hear the rain just fine as it slowed, dripping into puddles. The wind brushing through the branches above them. A frog croaking somewhere over by the slide. He could hear it all crystal clear, better than what his human ears could pick up.</p><p>“It’s not my fault he comes on so strong———” Sakusa continued, but his voice was still dropping out. His lips were moving, but sound was just falling away, falling under every other gentle sound around them.</p><p>So why couldn’t he hear Sakusa? Why were his words slipping away?</p><p>“Aki———”</p><p>Atsumu’s ears pricked forward. He strained them until the muscles ached, but nothing else Sakusa was saying would reach him. As if the words were simply falling away into the space between them.</p><p>Was this what—</p><p>“Aki.” Sakusa reached for him. Atsumu watched the hand with wide eyes.</p><p>Was this what it meant to be totally and completely a cat?</p><p>Atsumu jumped down from the bench before Sakusa could touch him and ran. He needed to see Kita. It hadn’t been a full day yet, and Kita had said there was time to change his mind.</p><p>Atsumu needed to be exactly sure of what being a cat meant. None of this looking in on a cat’s life through a mask.</p><p>Things were changing. All of the instincts and physical abilities that he had just barely glimpsed at these past few weeks were suddenly stronger than ever, like they were swallowing him alive. And the human nature he had clung onto so tightly while he was with Sakusa—it was slipping away, just like Sakusa’s words.</p><p>And he’d been saying something important. Something Atsumu needed to hear.</p><p>Maybe Atsumu had made the wrong choice.</p>
<hr/><p>It was long past the time Osamu normally came home, but it wasn’t quite dinner time yet, so that meant he was safe. He could sneak up to their bedroom like they always did after school, only it’d be far quieter without Atsumu around.</p><p>Except that wasn’t true. Atsumu had been bailing on him after school since the second term had started. He’d been blowing off his homework and sneaking back in just in time to not be caught by their parents.</p><p>So, would it really be all that different without him?</p><p>Clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, Osamu went inside and took off his shoes. There were voices in the kitchen, but they were more subdued than usual.</p><p>He kept waiting for the inevitable rise in volume. He couldn’t wait to see what new levels their parents’ arguing would reach after Atsumu’s disappearance.</p><p>Osamu passed the stairs and crept farther down the hallway, careful of the floorboards that creaked. The closer he got, the more he was sure that the voice didn’t belong to either of his parents. It was—</p><p>Osamu poked his head around the doorframe, just enough to see in. His parents were in the kitchen, but they weren’t looking his way.</p><p>Because, in front of them, facing away from Osamu, was Atsumu.</p><p>His head was inclined, and Osamu barely caught a snippet of an apology before he was retreating to their room, too angry to just stand there and watch.</p><p>After everything, Atsumu was back. Just like that. It hadn’t even been a full day yet, but there he was, groveling to their parents. And not once had he sent a text to Osamu or gave any indication where he had disappeared to.</p><p>Osamu had been worried, damn him.</p><p>And that fact pissed him off.</p><p>He shouldn’t have wasted his breath. Or his time.</p><p>And already he was thinking what he’d tell Sakusa just so he wouldn’t condemn Atsumu further.</p><p>Osamu nearly slammed the door shut, but he held himself back. He’d gotten that out of his system that morning. This was the point he was supposed to be feeling relieved. So, he left the door open a crack and waited at his desk.</p><p>A minute later, he heard him on the steps. Then, the door was pushed open. Atsumu’s eyes landed on him and immediately his face split in a smile.</p><p>“Hey, Osamu,” he said. “I’m back.”</p><p>“I can see that,” Osamu muttered.</p><p>He couldn’t help it, he looked Atsumu up and down, searching for any sign of wear and tear, a stray hair out of place, bags under his eyes, a telltale sign of where he’d been all this time, but there was nothing. He was still in his clothes from yesterday and looked perfectly fine. Not a scratch or smudge of dirt on him. Osamu couldn’t even detect a lingering note of heartbreak.  His eyes narrowed.</p><p>“Bet the parents were real pissed,” he continued.</p><p>“Huh? Oh yeah, ya heard that down there?” Atsumu crossed over to where his school bag was discarded at the foot of the bed. He crouched as he rifled through it.</p><p>“I think I missed any big blowups,” Osamu said.</p><p>Atsumu looked up and smiled. “Really?” He stood with empty hands and sat down in his desk chair so they were facing each other from opposite corners of the room. “Lucky.”</p><p>“Ya grounded for life?”</p><p>“Almost.”</p><p>All he did was stare, so Osamu stared right back. “Where’ve ya been this whole time, ‘Tsumu?”</p><p>“Oh—” Atsumu flicked his hand lazily “—around.”</p><p>Osamu snorted through his nose. “You could’ve told me, ya know.”</p><p>Atsumu tapped his fingers along the back of his chair. “Did I promise you I would, Osamu?”</p><p>The question was half teasing but also almost sound half sincere. Osamu shook his head at that. “Pretty much,” he muttered and finally turned around in his seat. This conversation was making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end and he had homework to do.</p><p>And that’s what he did for a while. He’d zone in on a problem and then be pulled out by whatever Atsumu was doing over at his desk. It sounded like homework, or tapping his fingers along the wood again, but Osamu wasn’t used to it.</p><p>Because Atsumu never sat at his desk. Even during their first term, he’d do his homework in some uncomfortable-looking position in his top bunk.</p><p>And Atsumu was never this quiet. He never gave one-worded answers. When he came back from cooling off, he looked for a challenge, always on the defensive, almost like he was ready to jump right back into another fight.</p><p>Pushing his chair back, Osamu got to his feet and turned. Atsumu was slouched in his chair, but he leaned his head back so he looked at him upside-down.</p><p> “Yer not ‘Tsumu.”</p><p>“Okay. Rude.” Atsumu pouted. “I’ve just been through a traumatic experience and yer not even takin’ my feelings seriously.”</p><p>It was enough to make Osamu hesitate, but then he pushed on. He knew he was right about this.</p><p>“I might have,” he said. “But yer not my brother.”</p><p>Atsumu waited a second before he grinned, and just like his other smiles since he’d opened the door. It wasn’t something Osamu had seen on his face before.</p><p>“How’d ya know?”</p><p>Osamu took a step back, hand on the corner of his desk. “Yer…<em>weird</em>. Yer too quiet,” he said, his tongue sticking in his dry mouth. “’Tsumu would be going on and on about the awful place he’s been holed up in. He’d prolly still be goin’ on about Sakusa, too.”</p><p>“Hmm, noted,” Atsumu hummed. “Well, yer parents bought it.”</p><p>“They don’t know anything about ‘Tsumu.”</p><p>Atsumu sat up in his chair, his back to Osamu. “That’s fair.”</p><p>They weren’t getting anywhere like this, and if this poor rendition of Atsumu really was just a doppelganger, then that meant the real one was still out there somewhere.</p><p>The hourglass had turned over again, and now time seemed to be passing through his fingers at an even faster pace. Osamu crossed the room, not stopping until he was standing over Atsumu and slammed his hand on the desk.</p><p>“If yer not Atsumu then tell me who the fuck you are.”</p><p>If he were Atsumu, Osamu would have hauled him up to his feet by now, shook him around a bit, maybe punch him for good measure.</p><p>But this wasn’t Atsumu. Beyond sharing the same face, he was nowhere close. So, Osamu found himself back up again as this Atsumu got to his feet. Tight-lipped smile still there, he squinted at Atsumu. He brought one hand to his chin, thumb and forefinger resting delicately on either side, looking as though he were thinking, but when he moved his hand away, a white mask came away with it. Just a traditional character mask, but it was blank. The eyes and mouth were cut out like gaping holes, but as empty as it appeared, it almost felt like it would come alive at any second.</p><p>Or that it had once been alive, and very recently at that.</p><p>The only bit of color was faint, and Osamu only saw it as light reflected off it. It was a dash of gold pain, drawn from the mask’s right cheek, across the eye hole, and ending in the middle of the forehead.</p><p>It reminded him of the yang half of yin and yang.</p><p>Distracted by the mask, he missed the second when the sight of Atsumu seemed to dissolve, replaced with a stranger. A brown haired, beady-eyed stranger standing too close to him now that he didn’t look like Atsumu. He wore a dark brown kimono, and Osamu was still wrapping his head around the fact that Atsumu really wasn’t here after all.</p><p>“I’m Suna Rintarou, and yer right. I’m not yer brother.” His voice was quieter, less abrasive than it had sounded in Atsumu’s mouth just a moment ago. “I’m just followin’ direction, keepin’ the peace.”</p><p>“Where’s ‘Tsumu?”</p><p>Suna glance out the glass door. “Probably out enjoyin’ his new life,” he said, and then looked back at Osamu. “Or not. Kita-sama gives all his cats nine lives. The first one’s usually the roughest.”</p><p>“What is going <em>on</em>?”</p><p>“Look—” Suna pushed him back lightly with the tips of his fingers, he still held the mask away from him in his other hand “—yer brother found something better than livin’ this dump of a human life. So, to keep any unnecessary problems from arisin’, I’ll be stepping in for him.” He gave a shallow bow. “Pleasure to be working with you.”</p><p>“Unnecessary problems?” Osamu gritted out. “What the fuckin’ hell are ya goin’ on about. Tell me where ‘Tsumu is.”</p><p>“Yer brother made his choice, and ya know what’s more annoyin’ than him? Missing kids,” Suna retorted, his soft voice gaining an edge to it. “Kita doesn’t want to deal with those problems, so I take over. I take the life yer brother gave up and keep things nice and quiet until he can disappear again without it bein’ a hassle.”</p><p>“And what’re you?”</p><p>Suna smiled, the same smile that had looked so foreign on Atsumu’s lips but now looked like it belonged on Suna’s. “Not human that’s for sure,” he said. “But a few years of time is nothing to a youkai. So, like I said, I look forward to workin’ with ya. Hopefully, I can become a better Atsumu under yer guidance.”</p><p>“No.” Osamu shook his head. “Take me to Atsumu. I’m not lettin’ him think that whatever shady shit he’s gotten himself stuck in is a good idea.”</p><p>Suna watched him for a moment, sizing him up, Osamu thought. In any case, he hoped this strange boy was able to put two and two together. Because if he didn’t give Osamu what he wanted, then he’d be sure to make Suna’s existence hell for as long as necessary, starting with tonight.</p><p>“Sure,” Suna finally said and set the mask back on his face. Like a trick of the light, Atsumu was standing there again with a big smile that Suna hadn’t been wearing. Now, it was a weird mix of the two, Osamu decided.</p><p>“This way,” Osamu said, pointing at the balcony door.</p><p>“Ah, we’re sneakin’ out,” Suna said, following. “No wonder yer parents have their hands full.”</p><p>“Tch.” Osamu closed the door behind them and sat up on the railing. “You sound too much like home.”</p><p>Suna, as Atsumu, tilted his head. “Ya mean the Kansai?” he asked. “Don’t think too much of it. You just hear what ya wanna hear. I could be speakin’ French for all you know.”</p><p>Osamu rolled his eyes and carefully lowered himself to the ground. Suna wasn’t far behind, practically jumping down and landing on all fours, remind Osamu of last week when Atsumu had down the same thing on his way to pick a fight with Oikawa. Only Suna had the grace of a cat with his landing.</p><p>“Good to know,” Osamu said dryly, watching Suna stand without even a wince of pain. “Now, can ya start at the beginning? I wanna know exactly what’s goin’ on, so I can kick ‘Tsumu’s ass properly when we find him.”</p>
<hr/><p>Kiyoomi could think of one last place to check before he went home and received an earful from his mom about missing dinner and skipping his homework.</p><p>But this was the last place. There’d be time for all that when he got home. And maybe it was a bit of a long shot going all the way up there, but nobody was ever around when he came, so that made it a good place to hide. Whether or not Atsumu knew that, Kiyoomi had to at least try.</p><p>After all, whenever he wanted to escape a crowded place or was forced to be out in public long after he’d burnt through his limited patience, the shrine was always an option. Like on the night of the festival during summer break. He couldn’t very well go home without disappointing his mom, but he could disappear up the hill and through the trees for just a little bit.</p><p>He came to the familiar fork in the sidewalk. One led straight ahead, back to the neighborhoods and main streets. The other sloped upwards, framed with lanterns every ten steps or so, unlit as long as it wasn’t a special occasion.</p><p>The air was dim in the fading light but brighter than it had been when he’d started. The storm clouds had lightened without losing their cover, but there was a break on the horizon, and the setting sun was just about to fall into the gap and cast its last bright rays for the day.</p><p>There weren’t too many people to pass, but he cringed every time he had to move to the farthest edge of the sidewalk. It was easier to be out and about when it was raining. He could hide under his umbrella and its width made sure anyone kept their distance.</p><p>And there was Aki. The cat had run off somewhere the second it stopped raining. Kiyoomi hoped he wouldn’t be gone for another week.</p><p>But that was always the unknown with strays. You never knew when they’d get hit by a car or picked up by animal control and put down. He’d been lucky Aki had lasted this long, if he was a stray.</p><p>He certainly moved around from place to place like one, no matter how cleaned he looked.</p><p>He probably had a lot of people taking care of him. Kiyoomi wondered how many would notice if the cat with the auburn fur and the oddly bright eyes just disappeared.</p><p>Would they leave bowls of food on their doorstep? Would the kids of the household go out into the street and call whatever name they’d given the cat?</p><p>Would there be more people searching for a cat like that than there were currently searching for Atsumu?</p><p>Just like a stray cat, Atsumu had forcefully squeezed himself through the door of Kiyoomi’s life and demanded to be fed. Even then, he still wouldn’t shut up.</p><p>At least, the thing about cats was that they were fairly straightforward creatures. There wasn’t much they could be hiding, but with Atsumu, Kiyoomi had no idea what kind of game he was playing.</p><p>Well, maybe that was just like a cat after all. Turn your shoulder on him, and he was right there, begging for your attention, all smiles, running that obnoxious mouth of his. But the second Kiyoomi looked at him or reached out, he ran off. Nowhere to be found.</p><p>All Kiyoomi wanted to know was if those last words Atsumu had given him were real and not just him taking a jab.</p><p>It was hard to tell with Atsumu.</p><p>With a sigh, he started up the slope. The shrine was his last shot. After that, he’d have to leave the searching to Osamu.</p><p>He was stopped about halfway up.</p><p>“Sakusa!”</p><p>There was Osamu, jogging to catch up. And behind him was Atsumu.</p><p>Kiyoomi had expected to feel some kind of relief in locating Atsumu, but what he felt now was a familiar frustration instead.</p><p>“Didn’t know you’d be here,” Osamu said when he was close enough.</p><p>“Ah, I didn’t think he’d be brave enough to show his face again,” Kiyoomi said through a dry mouth, looking at Atsumu.</p><p>Not stopping alongside his brother’s respectable distance, Atsumu walked right up to him and grabbed his bare hand with both of his.</p><p>“Were you worried about me, Sakusa-san?” he asked with the most serious face Kiyoomi had ever seen on him.</p><p>It took Kiyoomi only a fraction of a second longer than it normally would have for him to rip his hand away and back up until there was adequate amount of space between them. His skin crawled and he lamented the cleaning wipes he’d left at home.</p><p>It was Aki’s fault for distracting him. And now it was Atsumu’s fault for contaminating his hand and making him want to gag.</p><p>“Cut that out,” Osamu snapped, bringing Kiyoomi back to the conversation. “And I get wearin’ that disguise on the street, but is it really necessary now? Nobody’s around.”</p><p>Atsumu sighed, and then he wasn’t Atsumu anymore but a boy their age that Kiyoomi didn’t recognize, holding a blank mask that he stowed into the front of his kimono. “Sorry. I couldn’t help it,” he said.</p><p>Scowling, Osamu continued forward. With one last glance at the stranger, Sakusa went after him.</p><p>“This is Suna,” Osamu said briskly. “Apparently, youkai exist in this town and have fun fuckin’ around with people. People includin’ ‘Tsumu. So, we’re going to save him from doin’ something stupid.”</p><p>“Fucking around with people,” Suna repeated thoughtfully. “I think I’m pretty nice as far as youkai go.”</p><p>“I wouldn’t know,” Osamu deadpanned.</p><p>“Should I even be surprised?” Kiyoomi said.</p><p>Osamu opened his mouth, then closed it.</p><p>“I wish you would,” Suna said. He had a straightforward way of speaking, which didn’t always match his words. “I could all sorts of things to convince you.”</p><p>“No thanks,” Kiyoomi muttered, shoving his hands even deeper into his pockets.</p><p>“If we’d taken any longer, you prolly would’ve found ‘Tsumu before we could get there,” Osamu said. “Yer goin’ to the shrine, ain’tcha?”</p><p>“Not true,” Suna said before Kiyoomi could respond. “The shrine we’re going to isn’t one humans can get to.” He’d taken over the lead and glanced back at them now. “At least, not without a guide. There’s a barrier.”</p><p>They came up to the end of the path. Ahead, the clearing extended with the shrine straight ahead in the distance. The trees around them shifted with the wind, causing a wash of raindrops to fall to the ground. Beyond, through the branches, the setting sun was just peeking below the clouds, giving everything an orange glow.</p><p>“You should be glad we’re so nice,” Suna said with a quirk to his lips. He stopped right at the edge of the path, two unlit lanterns on either side before the entrance. He reached out and a shimmery wall appeared in front of them. “There are plenty of times bakeneko eat humans and take their place. Kita-sama is kind enough to turn them into cats in exchange for their human souls.”</p><p>Beside Kiyoomi, Osamu gulped. “What a relief,” he muttered.</p><p>“Kita-sama has been in charge for quite some time,” Suna said, and then he threw up his hands and the glittering veil split like a curtain.</p><p>On the other side was a brighter world. Like how Suna appeared too vibrant for the dullness they left behind, now Kiyoomi and Osamu seemed lacking. Like they might just slip away at any time, not enough to take up space on this side, only a shadow.</p><p>The trees were lush Japanese cedars and plum trees laden with plum blossoms, and they closed in around the area with a sense of privacy and hominess it lacked before. The light from the setting sun still snuck in, enhancing the mix of colors. The shrine itself was a polished wood with deep browns, looking well taken care of. There was no sign of age or neglect. The path forward was clean white gravel, and the grass surrounding it was neatly trimmed. Even the lanterns beside them were lit.</p><p>“This shrine’s god left it to him while he’s been away, so Kita-sama watches out for us like he always has, and he watches over this town as well,” Suna continued, stepping forward.</p><p>Kiyoomi pulled down his mask both at the wonder of it all and at the crispness to the air. It was clean and cool after the rain and expanded in his lungs, bringing a lightness to his entire body.</p><p>“I always thought gods drew power from the number of followers they had and how well their shrines and temples were kept,” he said.</p><p>“You could say,” Suna started, “this town has become a temple. It’s a good town, full of hardworking people, and it’s all because of Kita-sama. You could call it a give and take relationship.”</p><p>“I thought you said he takes human souls,” Osamu interjected.</p><p>“Only those who freely choose to.” Suna shrugged. “It’s just a process to sort through the bad eggs. Those not going to live their lives to the fullest.”</p><p>Osamu’s hands clenched at his sides, but he didn’t say anything further. Kiyoomi wondered if that was due to the fact that they were in this youkai world now. Beautiful it may be, they weren’t exactly safe.</p><p>Though Kiyoomi would have to agree with Osamu. Obnoxious as he was, Atsumu was no bad egg. There was no need to pluck him from the dozen for fear of contamination.</p><p>“There they are,” Suna said.</p><p>The youkai Suna called Kita sat cross-legged at the top of the shrine’s wooden steps. A familiar auburn colored cat sat next to him. Both were looking at each other, seemingly too engrossed in their conversation to realize they had guests.</p><p>And apparently, it was normal in the youkai world for cats to hold conversations. There was too much to look at that Kiyoomi hardly paid any mind to it, though he couldn’t stop staring.</p><p>Suna went on ahead, leaving them to catch up.</p><p>That cat was Aki. Kiyoomi was sure of it as they grew closer.</p><p>Finally, Kita looked up, smiling at Suna and stretching his hand out to him. Suna took it and bowed his head, talking softly to Kita. The cat’s ears pricked, and it turned those bright eyes onto Osamu and Kiyoomi.</p><p>“No fuckin’ way,” Osamu breathed out.</p><p>Kiyoomi tore his eyes away from the cat he knew was Aki. “What,” he said to Osamu.</p><p>“Suna said Atsumu had been turned into a car,” Osamu said. “I just didn’t know what to believe until right now.”</p><p>Kiyoomi looked back at Aki. “You’ve got to be joking,” he said.</p><p>“I hope I’m wrong,” Osamu muttered and then continued onward just as Suna straightened and pulled away from Kita. Filled with apprehension, Kiyoomi had no choice but to go after him.</p><p>Aki tilted his head away from their advance and toward Kita, who said something softly to him. Something Kiyoomi couldn’t make out.</p><p>Aki stood, looking as though he was about to spring down the steps until Kita’s hand descended on the back of his neck and shoulders. It would have been considered a pet if not for the way his hand squashed Aki down and dragged along his back, then twisted gently up his tail. There was a golden shimmer of light, very faint, but it gathered in Kita’s hand and stuck to it as his hand left Aki’s tail. With it, it seemed to collect and pull out the vibrant warmth that had clung to the cat’s coat, leaving it almost as dull as Kiyoomi and Osamu as they existed in this world, leaving the coat ordinary, more like a rusted brown than its bright auburn.</p><p>Whatever the change was beyond physical, Aki didn’t react to it. He righted himself and sprung down the steps. Kita stood and brushed off his white, red, and gold kimono. For the first time, his eyes landed on Kiyoomi and Osamu. He followed Aki down the steps.</p><p>And Aki didn’t stray far. He kept close to Kita’s ankles, more like an off-colored shadow next to this being that radiated more than anything else here, even the others that would have towered over him if they were anywhere else.</p><p>Kita extended both hands out. “Welcome to my home,” he said. “I’ve been wanting to meet you two. Atsumu’s told me so much already.”</p><p>“We’re here to take Atsumu home,” Osamu said, getting right to the point.</p><p>For the first time, Kiyoomi felt like an outsider. Who was he to stand alongside Osamu and demand these youkai return Atsumu?</p><p>Osamu had said it wasn’t his fault, but how could Kiyoomi say he wasn’t at least part of what drove Atsumu away in the first place?</p><p>“I was hoping that might be the case,” Kita said. “We just finished up. You’re free to take him with you.” His gaze fell to the cat at his feet.</p><p>And as much as Kiyoomi hoped that this was some sick joke, the same conclusion was drawn. Aki was Atsumu.</p><p>Atsumu was Aki.</p><p>Atsumu was the stray cat that had adopted itself into his life with no warning, not unlike the Atsumu he knew at home. And that cat now was sitting at a youkai’s feet, barely aware that his brother and his so-called crush were standing nearby.</p><p>Osamu seemed at a loss for words, his face wearing a strange expression that Kiyoomi assumed was a glare, one part disbelief, another horror, but even more than that, it said he was two steps away from tearing the place down.</p><p>Kiyoomi looked at Aki—or Atsumu—lips pressed tightly together. “Miya,” he said, and then cast a quick glance Osamu’s way. “Atsumu,” he tried instead, cringing at using his given name in public.</p><p>They didn’t know anything about each other. Like Osamu had said, it wasn’t like they were even friends. It should be his brother doing this, but knowing him, he’d grab the cat and head home, arguing, yowling, and clawing all the way.</p><p>“If you’re Atsumu, do something,” Kiyoomi hissed. “You’re always in my face every chance you get, so don’t let up now.”</p><p>The tenseness melted away from Osamu, leaving only a resigned expression as he came to his own, silent conclusions.</p><p>“He’s Atsumu,” Kita said, giving the cat a small nudge with his foot. “Just with the human part removed. Maybe this will work better. Try the other name. The one you gave him.”</p><p>Kiyoomi stared back at Kita, stunned. How did he know about that?</p><p>“Go on,” he prompted.</p><p>“Aki,” Kiyoomi said after a moment’s hesitation. His voice was quieter than when he’d called for Atsumu, and the cat’s ears perked. At once he turned and trotted away from Kita and toward Kiyoomi. And it really was Aki. Kiyoomi crouched down on one knee and pet the cat under its chin.</p><p>No, this was really Atsumu.</p><p>But when Kiyoomi met its eyes, saw how the brightness had ebbed from before, he realized that it was in fact neither of them.</p><p>Kiyoomi understood Osamu’s flash of anger that had been written all over his face. He felt it, too. The sudden urge to push the cat away because it wasn’t Atsumu—it was and it wasn’t—just in retaliation for Atsumu making this stupid, stupid mistake.</p><p>“Put him back the way he was,” Kiyoomi surprised himself in saying. He looked up at Kita, who was peering closely at his hand lifted up in front of his face, the one that clung to the glowing remains of whatever he’d taken from Atsumu.</p><p>His eyes moved to Kiyoomi. “Why?”</p><p>“Why,” Kiyoomi repeated angrily. “Because he’s an idiot. He doesn’t know what he wants, he’s in high school.”</p><p>Kita raised one brow.</p><p>“We all are,” Kiyoomi continued. “And we do and say stupid stuff all the time. Whatever he said that got him into this mess, he didn’t mean it.”</p><p>“He cares too much,” Osamu added, his tone exasperated. “And when he gets hurt, he acts like the world is ending and shuts himself off. Don’t treat him as a bad egg for one, annoying flaw.” His eyes cut to Suna, who was standing well out of the way beneath one of the plum trees.</p><p>Kita laughed softly and joined them, folding himself down until he was on Kiyoomi’s level and able to pet the cat behind the ears.</p><p>“I know all of that,” he said. “Which is why I’m glad Suna brought you. Atsumu had just come to tell me to turn him back. That he had changed his mind.” He looked at his shimmering hand again. “I wanted to make sure he wasn’t overselling the people he cares about. I wanted to make sure he really had you both to return to, one way or another.”</p><p>Kiyoomi and Osamu glanced at each other.</p><p>“So, I’m sorry I removed his soul. He can have it back,” Kita went on, and he lowered the hand, running it along the cat’s back, gentler this time. “I tend to become overprotective of my charges.”</p><p>As he ran his hand down the cat’s back over and over, its color gradually returned. Kita hummed as he watched the transformation, then looked to the side, where the last of the brilliant orange sunset was filtering in.</p><p>“This town,” he started, “if anyone ever endangered it, I couldn’t live with myself. The humans I have watched grow old here…I would not be doing the duty that was left to me if I left any of them suffer.” He looked back at Kiyoomi and Osamu and smiled. “I hope you forgive me for that.”</p><p>Then, he reached into his kimono and withdrew the mask Suna had been using earlier. When they’d made the exchange, Kiyoomi didn’t know. Kita held it out above the cat and it burst apart into lights that swirling like fireflies before they vanished.</p><p>With both hands under the cat’s forelegs, Kita lifted the glowing body, stretching it from the ground up until they were both fully standing, Kita’s hands still raised. The glow faded, solidified, and his hands settled on the shoulders of the real Miya Atsumu.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The next chapter will be the epilogue.</p><p>It's wild how fast this story flew by, but I really enjoyed working on it! Especially writing all the youkai stuff in this chapter.</p><p>The plum blossoms are for endurance and overcoming adversity. Japanese cedars are for new beginnings and point to the sky/heaven.</p><p>I hope everyone enjoyed this last chapter and will look forward to the epilogue. I'm beyond grateful for the kind comments and kudos.</p><p> </p><p>  <a href="http://silentmarco.tumblr.com">My Tumblr</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Epilogue: Heart</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Seeing Atsumu again should have been a sense of wonder and relief. This was what Kiyoomi and Osamu had come here to do. But, after the initial transformation, Atsumu was washed out and dull looking in the youkai world that stayed vibrant as the shadows grew longer with the vanishing sun.</p><p>The sight of him made sense. Kiyoomi and Osamu were the same in this place, but Kiyoomi had almost expected Atsumu to be different.</p><p>“This wasn’t a punishment. It was a lesson.” Kita was gazing up at Atsumu, maybe seeing the same thing Kiyoomi and Osamu did.</p><p>Then, Kita looked at them. Atsumu was human after all.</p><p>“I rarely take the souls of young people, and those I do take I never eat like some bakeneko.” Now his body turned, and he removed one hand from Atsumu’s shoulder to place over his chest. “They live within me, and when the cat’s nine lives are up, I reunite them and they move onto the next plane together. Only those who would never be happy living in your world come here, but for kids like you, I want to make sure you have what you need.”</p><p>While Kita was talking, Atsumu hadn’t moved, hadn’t acknowledged any of them. He swayed a bit on his feet and his head was lowered. Those half-lidded eyes were looking somewhere, Kiyoomi just couldn’t tell where.</p><p>“I hate seeing kids set up for failure,” Kita continued. “If I can prevent them from coming to me later after going beyond my help, I will. Rintarou, will you take care of Atsumu?”</p><p>Kiyoomi stepped forward, an objection caught in his throat, but Kita held up a hand. Suna stepped up beside them and gently tugged on Atsumu’s arm.</p><p>Atsumu’s chin lifted, and Kiyoomi found those eyes land squarely on him. It was only for a moment, but he could see those eyes too clearly. They were the only things not dulled by having his soul returned. His eyes were brown galaxies, made golden in the fading light, too far away, and maybe they weren’t seeing Kiyoomi at all.</p><p>Suna pulled again, and this time Atsumu went with him, led away toward the shrine, leaning against Suna for support.</p><p>His eyes hadn’t been empty exactly—not like they’d been as a cat with no human soul lurking underneath—but those eyes hadn’t been all there either. They were beautiful here. What did they look like outside the brilliance of the youkai world? Were they anywhere close? Kiyoomi hadn’t really stopped to notice before. Would they eventually fade like the rest of him as the magic left?</p><p>“You can imagine it can be disorienting to have something like your soul removed and returned,” Kita said. “But I promise, he’s okay. Give him some time.”</p><p>“Yeah, well, if he thinks he’s gettin’ off easy, I’m gonna kick his ass.”</p><p>Kiyoomi raised his brows at Osamu. Just a minute ago, he was trying to convince Kita to forgive Atsumu’s flaws. Even now, despite the harsh words, Kiyoomi might’ve been imagining things, but Osamu’s voice sounded choked all the same.</p><p>Kita laughed, like a parent over an excitable child. “Don’t be too hard on him,” he said. “After all, this only happened to Atsumu because he found me first. This lesson could’ve been taught to either one of you.” He gazed over his shoulder at the shrine. “And who knows if we would’ve seen this same outcome.”</p><p>“’Tsumu’s the problem child,” Osamu muttered. “I don’t see why you have to lump us in with him.”</p><p>“Atsumu,” Kiyoomi started slowly, not sure if it was his place to speak up, not sure if he should even be using Atsumu’s given name. “He gained the most from a lesson, if that’s what you want to call it. I’m not sure it would’ve been the same for anyone else.”</p><p>“Oh.” Kita directed his eyes back on them, and it might have been night settling in around them, but his eyes almost seemed to glow in their intensity, turning pupils into cat-like slits. Sunlight fell away even faster around them, slipping through the tree, and the calm breeze from before carried a chill with it, rooting both of them to the spot. “Don’t misunderstand happenstance as fate. I’m no god. I don’t alter lives or any part of the world. I simply set things in motion. I make a connection. I interfere and outcomes change. But that’s no different than what any human can do. Only the level of my interference is any different.”</p><p>“So, it’s our fault,” Osamu said. Kiyoomi could hear the frustration in his voice, or he was projecting because he felt it, too.</p><p>There was also the fear. Slight as it was, it wiggled through every crevice and waited. The constant reminder that <em>these things eat humans</em>.</p><p>But the intense energy Kita was giving off dissipated and he stepped closer. “No.” His voice had softened, and the fear receded like a wave. “There are no faults. It’s no one’s fault to be unhappy, but I want all of you silly humans to know when it’s in your power to rectify that unhappiness. And I want you to know when you can affect another’s.”</p><p>Kita stepped even closer now and reached his hand out to touch Kiyoomi’s arm. The touch was firm enough that he could feel it through his jacket, but it didn’t make his skin crawl. It reminded him of the cleanliness he’d felt from Aki.</p><p>“A human’s mind can taunt itself worse than a youkai ever could. And grief?” Kita’s smile turned sad. “That is something we can barely grasp. In fact, humans are rarely good at much else beyond feeling things, and what do they do with it? They try to bottle it up and hide it from each other yet expect others to understand.”</p><p>He turned to Osamu, touching his arm with his other hand. Kiyoomi hadn’t realized they’d been standing that close.</p><p>“Communicate, that’s what I’m telling you to do,” Kita said firmly, squeezing their arms. “Funny that you want to blame Atsumu for all of this, but he is the only one saying what he wants after he works himself up to it.  And it’s true not everyone will like what comes out of his mouth—it’s also true he could stand to learn how to handle others’ feelings—but he does not suffer in silence.”</p><p>“You don’t gotta tell me that,” Osamu muttered under his breath.</p><p>“You may be twins, but you don’t have to want the same thing,” Kita said to him. “You might have forgotten than since coming here. Atsumu doesn’t need you to watch over his every step. He’s doing his own thing, making his own mistakes, and learning from them as he goes. Don’t feel guilty for wanting something different. And don’t feel guilty when he gets upset when you’re not by his side.” Kita smiled, patting Osamu’s shoulder. “I think you and I both know he’ll get over it.”</p><p>With a contented sigh, Kita let his hands fall away from their arms. Feeling unfrozen, Kiyoomi stepped farther away from Osamu.</p><p>“Every human wears a mark or puts up a wall—it’s only natural—but if you keep them up forever and around every person you meet, how can you ever expect to relax and smile?” Kita turned away and started strolling back toward the shrine. “All that’s left is to give you all a push forward and hope I don’t any of you squandering your chances in the future. I’ll go check on him. You two should wait here.”</p><p>Humming faintly as he went, Kita’s sandals crunched in the gravel and then Kiyoomi and Osamu were left alone. It was really starting to get dark, despite the lanterns lit around the place. It heightened the anxiety of every minute more spent waiting here without Atsumu.</p><p>Osamu was the first to sit. He plopped down right in the grass, crossing his arms over his chest and huffing loudly. Kiyoomi hesitated but sat as well. He would have thought the grass would be wet after the day’s rain, but it was dry and soft beneath his hands.</p><p>He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say to Osamu after everything that had just happened. This was the first time they’d been alone after Osamu’s shouting bout in the school’s hallway. Kiyoomi was certain he still blamed him for this whole mess. And rightfully so, whether Osamu said as much or not.</p><p>Kita had been right. Atsumu was the one bearing his heart on his sleeve. All of his bluntness and frustrations were there as well, but Kiyoomi had never thought that pinning all those emotions to such a vulnerable spot included Atsumu’s heart. It only made sense then that Kiyoomi’s thoughtless words had hurt him, despite how unbothered Atsumu was with just about everything. He’d even told Kiyoomi that he didn’t care what other people thought about him.</p><p>Apparently, in some regard, he did. And Kiyoomi had ended up being the one to test those limits until they fractured.</p><p>At least, that was the extent of it, he’d thought.</p><p>He hadn’t thought it’d drive Atsumu to this.</p><p>Kiyoomi glanced over at Osamu. He hadn’t accepted his apology at school, so it was unlikely he’d take it now. Osamu had uncrossed his arms and was ripping up fistfuls of grass. He caught Kiyoomi staring and stared back, not stopping with the grass despite how closely it’d been cropped. He was nearly digging his fingers into the dirt, ripping up from the roots.</p><p>“I feel so stupid just sittin’ here,” Osamu said. “This whole thing is stupid.”</p><p>Kiyoomi pulled his knees up to his chest, crossing his arms on top. “What do you think you’ll say to him?” he asked, because he was starting to wonder that himself.</p><p>“Dunno. Guess it depends what he says first.” Osamu abandoned his grass pulling and leaned back on his hands. Kiyoomi cringed inwardly at the sight of dirt under his fingernails. “We’ll prolly fight again. Maybe we won’t talk for a week, but it’ll be alright.”</p><p>“Does that happen a lot?”</p><p>Osamu gave him a funny look. “You ain’t got any siblings, do ya.”</p><p>Kiyoomi shrugged. “I have a sister, but we’re not close in age.”</p><p>“Well, let me tell ya, they’re a real pain in the ass,” he said, “but one good thing is you always know yer gonna come outa anything okay in the end. There’s not too much ‘Tsumu could do that would keep me from forgivin’ him eventually. Pretty sure the same goes for him.”</p><p>Kiyoomi sat considering this for a moment. How nice it must be for Osamu to know things would work out after this. Kiyoomi couldn’t say the same for himself. Atsumu could very easily tell him to get lost, and if that were the case, he’d have to do it.</p><p>Whether or not Atsumu said something along those lines, Kiyoomi would deserve it either way.</p><p>“Know what? Screw this.” Osamu pushed himself to his feet, brushing grass from his school uniform and replacing it with the dirt on his hands.</p><p>Kiyoomi raised his eyebrows, looking up at him. “You’re leaving.”</p><p>“That Kita guy was right,” Osamu said, his tone clipped. “I’m done babyin’ ‘Tsumu. He knows how to get home.”</p><p>Kiyoomi met his gaze when Osamu looked down, watching his glare turn unsure as his eyes slid away.</p><p>“And—yer here. And you wouldn’t be here unless—” Osamu frowned “—well, if ya really feel like it, walk him home. I don’t care. If I see his face right now, I’m gonna punch it, so I’m goin’ home.”</p><p>Kiyoomi shrugged again. “See you tomorrow.”</p><p>But Osamu was already sulking away, hands in his pockets and shoulders hunched forward.</p><p>That was one difference between the Miya twins, Kiyoomi figured. On one hand, Atsumu often had no filter. He said what he wanted and didn’t care how it made anyone else feel. Like an opposite force, Osamu was quiet, blunt in his own way, but he seemed more careful about it, like he knew how to hold himself back. He still didn’t say anything straightforward, not like Atsumu in any case. The only time he sounded as identical to his brother as he looked was when he got angry. Kiyoomi remembered the headmaster’s office, and those instances throughout the entire afternoon, Osamu opening his mouth, loud and angry and almost as bad as Atsumu.</p><p>Kiyoomi could stand Osamu’s quieter nature. It was more similar to his than Atsumu’s was, but Kiyoomi could see what Kita had meant just a moment ago, too. Kiyoomi wondered, who would Osamu have been after six months in this new school if he hadn’t been ostracizing himself alongside Atsumu, matching him step for step.</p><p>Kiyoomi never really liked the quiet types. They took too much energy to figure out.</p><p>Figuring out Atsumu on the other hand was an entirely different kind of exhaustion he didn’t know existed.</p><p>But it was a game he didn’t mind playing. As long as it was a game where Atsumu’s soul was no longer on the line. His hair might go prematurely gray if that were to happen.</p><p>Though he didn’t doubt Atsumu would have a knack for getting up to all sorts of trouble without any youkai getting involved, matching his tricks tit for tat.</p><p>Breathing out a long breath, Kiyoomi got to his feet. Osamu was long gone. Only the clouds reflected the last of the sun that had disappeared from view. Kiyoomi was tired of waiting, too. He headed toward the shrine.</p><p>For the first time while here, he wished someone else was around. Though he was standing in open space, the trees still cut off the view of anything but the sky. And though he knew where he was—for the most part—being here alone felt like he was lost in the woods, not knowing which direction was the right one or even if he was walking straight.</p><p>Which was silly. Every time before now, he’d always come to the shrine to be alone.</p><p>The steps didn’t creek beneath his feet like they usually did. The wooden boards didn’t even shift and bend under his weight. The doors were shut tight as always, so he circled around the outside of the small structure. He turned the first corner, and there they were, standing at the other end. Kita heard him coming and looked back first. Atsumu was sitting on the railing, leaning forward on his knees so he was closer to Kita, as if bending an ear to listen. He reminded Kiyoomi of how Kita was sitting with the cat earlier.</p><p>Atsumu looked up a second after Kita.</p><p>Even in the dim lighting, Kiyoomi could tell it wasn’t the same empty expression as before. There was no smile, no frown, but something was behind his eyes, Kiyoomi could just barely see from where he stood.</p><p>For once, Atsumu looked more like Osamu than he’d ever had before. The more Kiyoomi was getting to know these twins, the more he was realizing they weren’t so different as they first seemed. Both had evaded his original expectations, Atsumu more so than anyone.</p><p>Kita smiled, first at Atsumu, then turned it on Kiyoomi.</p><p>Kiyoomi started forward, and Kita made to meet him in the middle.</p><p>“Perfect,” he said. “I was just coming to get you.”</p>
<hr/><p>Atsumu watched Kita walk away, and then turned his gaze as Sakusa continued closer. The best idea he could come up with was throwing himself over the railing and making a run for it.</p><p>Sakusa knew he had been Aki, and he’d been there to watch the crux of his screwup in all its splendor. Atsumu hadn’t been planning on that when he hightailed it back to Kita. He’d thought Kita would give him his mask back and—bam—he’d be human again. Kita could have his cat mask back and Atsumu would never have to think of the mistake he’d almost made ever again.</p><p>
  <em>Do you think you can let them in now? Even after they’ve seen it all?</em>
</p><p>Kita had asked them that, and sure, Atsumu had thought. Osamu was still his brother. Sakusa would still be his classmate. It didn’t matter what they’d seen, nothing would change those facts.</p><p>He’d thought that, but when he had, he didn’t have Sakusa staring down at him like he might push Atsumu off the railing himself.</p><p>Atsumu gulped.</p><p>He’d face it head on. That’s what Kita wanted, and Atsumu didn’t want to endure another one of his lessons. Or his lectures.</p><p>“Are you alright?”</p><p>And Atsumu just stared as Sakusa broke the silence, his heart fluttering in his chest. It wasn’t fair of Sakusa to ask him that. Not again. Not now.</p><p>Atsumu ducked his head, Sakusa’s eyes too dark and intense to meet. “Yeah, ‘m fine,” he said. “Where’s ‘Samu?”</p><p>“He went home.”</p><p>Atsumu cringed at that, thinking what exactly Osamu would say to him.</p><p>
  <em>I can’t stand to look at yer dumb face, you idiot. Who keeps things like that from their brother, huh?</em>
</p><p>Atsumu snorted out a bitter laugh.</p><p>
  <em>You think yer the only one who’s got it bad?</em>
</p><p>“He said he’d probably punch you if he saw you right now,” Sakusa continued. “But I think that’s only because he’s hurt you didn’t say anything sooner.” Sakusa stepped closer. “You didn’t say anything even though you always put it all out there for everyone to see.”</p><p>Well, that only meant he wouldn’t have to deal with Osamu until he got home. That left…only Sakusa.</p><p>“So, you gonna tell me how much I’ve inconvenienced ya?” He just couldn’t meet that gaze. “Spit it out already. It wasn’t like you had to come in the first place.”</p><p>“You were Aki.”</p><p>Atsumu’s grimace was more of a twitchy smile. There was that, too. He couldn’t forget that along with everything else. He couldn’t forget Sakusa had seen that, too.</p><p>“Uh, well, add that to the list. Tell how creepy I was. I don’t care.”</p><p>“It’s not like I mind.”</p><p>Atsumu chanced looking up, not raising his head just yet.</p><p>“Aki was fun to have around.” There he was. Blunt as ever. Sakusa shrugged as Atsumu’s jaw dropped.</p><p>“Yeah, yer weird,” he finally huffed out.</p><p>“Your note,” Sakusa said, nearly cutting him off. “Did you mean what you wrote in it?”</p><p>Atsumu was having a hard time keeping up. “Ya just said I don’t hide what I feel. Why would I lie about that crap? Obviously, I meant it.”</p><p>“I thought you were making fun of me.”</p><p>“Huh?” Atsumu growled and pushed himself off the railing, squaring up. “Look, I didn’t ask Oikawa to read it out for everyone to hear. I thought I made that pretty clear chasin’ him around like an idiot.”</p><p>“Hmm.” There was that pinched expression, the one Atsumu couldn’t read on him. “I guess when you’re a simpleton, everything you want to express tends to come out in the same way.”</p><p>Atsumu took a step forward, hands clenched at his sides and ready for a fight. “Oh yeah? Say that again. You already said how ya feel back in class. All I need are some fightin’ words and you can kiss that stupid, pretty face o’ yers goodbye.”</p><p>“I’m not fighting you, Miya,” Sakusa said. “You look like you’d keel over any second.”</p><p>Atsumu wanted to argue, but to be honest, he did feel like a strong enough breeze could knock him right over. His knees were wobbly, and his entire body was shaky, like right after you throw up and you’re sweaty and shaky and weak.</p><p>He hated that feeling. That was why he didn’t get sick.</p><p>“You were callin’ me Atsumu before,” he muttered under his breath, then sighed, deciding that wasn’t worth a fight either. “Whether or not you thought it was a joke, it wasn’t. Now, will ya stop humiliatin’ me? I just wanna go home and pretend today never happened, okay?”</p><p>“No. It’s not okay.”</p><p>“Sheesh, what more do you—”</p><p>“I didn’t mean to turn you down so directly in front of everyone—”</p><p>Atsumu waved him off. “I said it’s fine.”</p><p>“—I misread the situation,” Sakusa continued over him, though his voice was hardly raised at all. “I was only thinking of myself.”</p><p>“Oh yeah? So was I,” Atsumu countered harsher than he meant to. “You were out all week, and the second ya get back, I boxed you into a corner. <em>I</em> was Aki. <em>I</em> knew about yer gramps, but all I cared about was gettin’ rid of my stupid feelings. So <em>I’m</em> the one who’s sorry, okay?”</p><p>“That’s not—” Sakusa grumbled under his breath and planted his hands on his hips “—it’s just that—I like you.”</p><p>“No, you don’t.”</p><p>“I can’t tell you why, I don’t do sappy crap, but it’s not like you do either. You act like an ass and then give me a note like that? What did you expect?”</p><p>“Looks like we’re both asses,” Atsumu muttered.</p><p>“I just do,” Sakusa continued. “I was worried when you didn’t show up at school. I didn’t want to be, but when you weren’t there, I realized I couldn’t just take back what I’d said to you.”</p><p>“This is the stupidest confession ever.”</p><p>“You started it.”</p><p>Atsumu frowned at him but felt nothing better than a petulant child. “I don’t waste my time on people I don’t care about. So, if I was bein’ a dick to you—” he fizzled out, this was exactly why he’d written that note “—if I was a dick to you, well, if I was <em>talkin’</em> to you, then that meant you were worth my time.”</p><p>Sakusa stepped closer, but instead of it being a nice gesture of closing the gap, he only ended up looming over Atsumu who scowled back. “And if I didn’t kill you for touching me without my permission, then that meant I was tolerating you.”</p><p>“Oh wow, I love bein’ tolerated.” Atsumu rolled his eyes. “At least I was careful. I know you have a…thing.”</p><p>“Mysophobia.”</p><p>“Gesundheit.”</p><p>“You’re such an ass.”</p><p>Atsumu grinned. “Yer the one who said ya like me, which I still don’t think is true, by the way. You don’t gotta cheer me up, Omi-kun.”</p><p>Sakusa’s eyes dropped for the first time, looking down at the space between them, which had grown quite limited. “I wish I could say something like I’ll prove it to you, but…” He seemed to be struggling for words, and Atsumu’s bravado slipped away at that.</p><p>“Yeah? Well, I don’t care about that shit. Hold my hand if you want, or don’t. You could even call me an asshole as a term of endearment. I like you,” he said. “I just do. And if you say the same, then…I guess I’ll trust ya, even if yer face does look like ya smelled something rotten.”</p><p>“My face doesn’t look like that.”</p><p>“If ya say so,” Atsumu said and laughed.</p><p>They were standing together, closer than they’d ever been, in the last of twilight in this world that wasn’t even their’s. And it felt way too normal for all of that. It didn’t feel like Sakusa had just returned his feelings, and it didn’t feel like Atsumu had just saved himself from spending nine lives as a dumb cat.</p><p>Cats couldn’t say words that would twist Sakusa Kiyoomi’s lips into some alien grimace that Atsumu might just count as a smile. Cats couldn’t laugh either.</p><p>There was a small tug on his jacket sleeve that cut off Atsumu’s laughter, and he looked down, still smiling, a grin that froze on his face when he saw. Sakusa’s hand was completely covered by his school jacket and, just barely, he’d pinched off a section of Atsumu’s sleeve.</p><p>With such little lighting, no one could confirm whether or not Atsumu was blushing. He couldn’t even tell if Sakusa was as well. With his free hand, Atsumu rubbed the back of his neck.</p><p>“Could I,” he started, “push yer comfort zone just a little more?”</p><p>“When it comes to you, I don’t think I have much of a choice.” Sakusa’s voice was totally unaffected, no nerves, nothing.</p><p>It pissed Atsumu off, but it was probably in a good way.</p><p>“Um, put yer mask on?”</p><p>Sakusa looked like he wanted to argue, but he didn’t. Instead, he dropped Atsumu’s sleeve and took his face mask from his pocket. The strings were tucked around his ears and he pulled the mask over his nose.</p><p>“Happy?” Sakusa’s words were slightly more muffled now, but Atsumu hoped it would be enough.</p><p>“I’d be happier if I coulda done it myself,” Atsumu grumbled mostly to himself so that he wouldn’t chicken out as he stepped even closer, “but I’ve been runnin’ around on all fours all day. I mean, who knows the last time I washed my hands.”</p><p>Even with the mask up, Atsumu could see Sakusa scowl. “You were always pretty clean as a cat.”</p><p>“Pretty sure that was just the whole magic thing, which was prolly good ‘cause you woulda definitely kicked me out if I looked like another stray.”</p><p>“Miya,” Sakusa warned. “Get to the point.”</p><p>“That’s another thing.”</p><p>“You’re wasting my time.”</p><p>“It’s Atsumu to you. If—” Atsumu gulped before he pointed between his chest and Sakusa’s “—if ya really want this to be a thing, then it’s Atsumu.” He narrowed his eyes. “Call it what ya want—sibling rivalry, whatever—but this ain’t up for negotiation.”</p><p>Sakusa sighed heavy and long. “Will you stop putting off whatever it is you want already?” he said. “Atsumu.”</p><p>Atsumu felt his face heat up. It might have already been burning red, but this was the first time he was aware of it.</p><p>“Fine, fine,” he breathed, not fully trusting his voice. “But if you hate it, feel free push me away or hit me or whatever.”</p><p>Sakusa rolled his eyes. “Obviously.”</p><p>There was only two inches of difference between the two of them, but Atsumu had never felt it as clearly as he did now, standing so close. Mouth frowning with focus, Atsumu placed his hands on Sakusa’s shoulders, not enough to settle much weight onto them. Just enough to feel the fabric beneath his palms, the way Sakusa’s shoulders lifted with an intake of breath, a little sharp at the change.</p><p>But Atsumu watched what he could see of Sakusa’s face carefully. He wasn’t pulling back. This wasn’t skin-on-skin contact. They’d done this before, just not in such an intimate-feeling way.</p><p>Atsumu leaned in. It wasn’t the most romantic gesture, he was too focused on holding his breath, thinking about how Sakusa would hate it if he could feel Atsumu’s breath on his cheek. He was also concentrating on where Sakusa’s lips were supposed to be. The best he had was a guess. Maybe he could tell by touch alone.</p><p>His dry lips met the mask first, only a tickle. When he realized there was still give, he pressed further until he met the resistance of Sakusa’s face. There was warmth there from the air built up from Sakusa’s breathing. The mask pressed against his nose and he tried very hard not to let it brush against Sakusa’s cheek.</p><p>And he could feel Sakusa’s lips. They didn’t move. His didn’t either.</p><p>Sakusa was the first to close his eyes, and Atsumu only followed because he realized too late that he’d been staring at the two moles over Sakusa’s eye.</p><p>Face still burning with embarrassment, he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to think of how to make a kiss like this any good.</p><p>It wasn’t a long kiss—maybe ten seconds—technically it wasn’t a kiss at all. Holding his breath the entire time made it feel longer. Eventually, Sakusa reached up first to tap Atsumu’s arm, even though Atsumu was the one nearly pressed up against the railing. Still, he pulled away and stepped back, a scowl almost immediately pulling on his lips.</p><p>“That sucked,” Atsumu whined, and Sakusa looked away, hiking the mask even higher over his blushing cheeks as if Atsumu had messed it all up.</p><p>“I didn’t realize you were such a bad kisser, Atsumu.”</p><p>“I’d French ya through the mask if I didn’t think you’d hate it, Omi-Omi,” Atsumu snapped back.</p><p>A breathy sound puffed through the mask, but all Atsumu could see were Sakusa’s upturned eyebrows.</p><p>“Pull yer mask down right now!”</p><p>“No,” Sakusa said and turned his back on Atsumu. “I’m going home.”</p><p>“I swear, Omi-kun, if yer keepin’ a real smile from me, I’ll tackle you and rip the mask off myself.”</p><p>“You wouldn’t catch me.”</p><p>“Care to find out?”</p><p>“No,” Sakusa sighed. “I’m too tired.”</p><p>And Atsumu wouldn’t admit it, but he felt the same way.</p><p>They stepped down from the shrine, and Atsumu looked around the area, seeing no sign of Kita of Suna. Fireflies were blinking on and off around the clearing, lighting up the place more than regular fireflies would, like mini floating lights.</p><p>“Think we can just leave?”</p><p>Sakusa watched him watching everything else. “I think if they want us to see them again, they’ll let us know.”</p><p>“Kinda a shame to be leavin’ though.”</p><p>“Oh, so you do want to be a cat. We should go back and let those youkai know.”</p><p>“Shut up!” Atsumu glanced over his shoulder. “They’ll hear ya,” he hissed. “All I’m sayin’ is it’s a nice place.”</p><p>“Hm, I’ll agree with you as long as you don’t go making your attempt at kissing anything more special than it was because of it.”</p><p>“Oh? So it was <em>some</em> kind of special?”</p><p>“Don’t put words into my mouth.”</p><p>“Wouldja let me put my tongue?”</p><p>Sakusa gagged. “No way in hell.”</p><p>“Not tonight you mean.”</p><p>“Maybe not ever. I still have to get over the mental image of what you called <em>Frenching</em> me through my mask.” Sakusa cringed, and strangely enough, Atsumu delighted in it.</p><p>He pouted, stepping just close enough so their shoulder didn’t touch. “Aw, then hold my hand?”</p><p>“You just said you haven’t washed them.”</p><p>“I mean—” Atsumu hesitated, frowning as he felt the familiar blush warming his face “—like you did before.”</p><p>Sakusa didn’t say anything, but after a minute, he did reach out to hold onto Atsumu’s sleeve like before. They were both so distracted that they missed when they crossed the barrier back into the real world. They didn’t see how the drab, ordinary world bled back into their surroundings, or notice how their dullness finally matched everything around them. In fact, they couldn’t even be called dull anymore and the lanterns lit their path all the way down.</p><p>“Hey, do you think you’ll do that pottery stuff again?” Atsumu asked halfway down the hill so he wouldn’t have to think too much about Sakusa holding onto his sleeve or the fact that it was getting late and it was definitely past dinner time.</p><p>“No, my mom’s selling the studio,” Sakusa said. “There’s one or two places downtown where you can take lessons, but I don’t know. Maybe. It’s a pain to go someplace else.”</p><p>“Well, you should,” Atsumu said. “Oh, and you should teach me, too.”</p><p>“I just told you there ares places downtown. Go take a class.”</p><p>Atsumu shook his head. “No way. All those strangers? Starin’ at me? Gah, I’d die, Omi-Omi.”</p><p>“So you’re one of those guys that try something new and quit if you’re not perfect the first time?” Sakusa challenged.</p><p>“If ya wanna find out, you’ll have to teach me yerself.”</p><p>“Sounds like torture.”</p><p>They reached the bottom of the hill where the sidewalk forked off. Atsumu knew he was heading left, but he hesitated, wondering if this was where they parted.</p><p>“I’ll think about it,” Sakusa eventually added, and he pointed to the right. “I’m this way.”</p><p>Atsumu smiled bitterly and pointed over his shoulder. “And I’m that way, so uh…”</p><p>Sakusa stared back, unimpressed as ever. “So I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”</p><p>“Yeah.” But Atsumu still didn’t move and neither did Sakusa.</p><p>“What,” Sakusa said.</p><p>Atsumu glared. “Nothing,” he muttered. “Just—yer not gonna change yer mind tomorrow? I feel like everything that happened today’s just gonna disappear.”</p><p>“That place up there can disappear,” Sakusa said, almost sharply, “but unlike some people, <em>I</em> don’t disappear at the drop of a hat. Plus—” his voice lowered “—it’s not like you have to be a cat to see me anymore.”</p><p>Atsumu flushed, looking down at his feet. “S’pose yer right.”</p><p>“Alright then.”</p><p>“Alright.” And Atsumu turned down his road and started walking.</p><p>“Atsumu.”</p><p>Atsumu looked back.</p><p>Sakusa was glaring, eyes flicking between Atsumu and the road. “I meant that I like you,” he grumbled out. “So that’s not going anywhere either.”</p><p>Atsumu’s eyebrows raised with the corners of his lips. “I’ll hold ya to that, Omi-kun.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm so happy to have completed my first sakuatsu fic! Thank you everyone who left super sweet comments. It made writing each new chapter so much easier!</p><p>Honestly, I just want to write so much more of this world and do a bunch more fun stuff with the youkai additions (which were the changes made to the og A Whisker Away plot). Who knows? Maybe I'll do some oneshots and make a series or something.</p><p>But right now, I look forward to returning to How to Say I Love You and prep for Haikyuu Week 2020, since I'm actually planning on participating with some oneshots (you might even seen more sakuatsu).</p><p>Again, I'm super proud to have another fic completed and I'm so thankful for everyone who tagged along.</p><p> </p><p>  <a href="http://silentmarco.tumblr.com">My Tumblr</a></p>
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